The Prince and The Assassin
by AlexJanna
Summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper. 1x2, hints of 3x4, AU, graphic lemons, major fluff
1. Humpty Dumpty

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

notes: I first wrote this as a oneshot then later seperated it into chapters. Each chapter has a diffrent length from the others so some may be extremely long and some may be rather short. There are rather graphic lemons so they will be indicated at the begining of the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 01: Humpty Dumpty

* * *

Duo giggled softly to himself as he dangled twenty feet in the air above the castle wall. Ooh! Wufei would kill him if he got caught. Not that his good friend and body guard could actually lay a hand on him, but he would suffer the wrath of the dreaded rant.

Slipping from one balcony to another the young crowned prince of Sanq crouched low as the crunch of the sentries' foot steps echoed from bellow. His dark colored clothes were a God send in his nightly adventures out of the castle walls. Quatre had long since given up trying to convince him to stay put in his royal bed chambers and had once again been whined and begged at till he gave up his working clothes to his friend. Duo reminded himself to give his squire a few days off this coming fortnight. Poor Quatre needed them.

Jumping from the last balcony above the wall, Duo landed with the grace of a cat and began to scurry silently along the wall with the quickness and mischief of a sewer rat. He had been sneaking out of the castle since he was old enough to realize that there was a whole other world outside of it.

His first time out he had gotten caught stealing an apple. Having never had to pay for anything in his castle home Duo didn't realize that in commoners' clothes no one would recognize him as the prince. His hands had almost been forfeit till a tall boy with shaggy blond hair had come to the rescue and snatched him up before the merchant could cut off his hands in punishment.

The blond street urchin had taken Duo in and kept him safe till morning when the little boy had made his way to the castle and back into his room safe and sound. Despite his disastrous first adventure Duo was instantly addicted to the rush and freedom offered to him by Solo and his gang.

Not wanting to endanger his new friends with his true identity he was given a gang name, Duo. To symbolize his royal beauty and his street rat's heart; Duo had to chuckle every time at the irony of the meaning behind his nickname. He learned many things from the gang of street kids. Amongst others, he learned the skills of stealing, stealth, blending in, and street fighting.

Though he would steal from the street vendors, Duo would always come back later during the royal visits into the town and make sizable donations to their businesses. It was on one of these visits that Solo had found out who their newest gang member really was when he tried to filch the prince's purse.

Solo had been furious with his friend for not telling the truth, but after a time could understand why his friend snuck out and ran with a bunch of street kids. The need for freedom called all humans; who was he to judge a fellow man for following that call? Needless to say, they kept Duo's identity from the rest of gang for their own safety.

Duo waited patiently for the castle guards' to fall into their regular patterns of gossiping and smoking before he noiselessly slipped over the wall and rushed off into the welcoming hustle and bustle of the town of Peacemillion. He couldn't wait to meet up with his gang.

* * *

Heero sat in the darkest corner of the inn's main room watching the room from behind his untouched mug of ale. He had a mission to complete and money to collect. The money in his pocket smelled of blood and greed, but he had grown used to it. After all, when you're an assassin for hire you are rarely paid in money that someone hadn't bled for.

His dark expression and cloud of foreboding kept the buxom waitresses from pawing at him and the drunken townsmen from gossiping with him. He could be obliging when he needed information, but tonight he was just there to fill his belly, quench his thirst, and wash off the dust of travel.

The man that had contacted him through the arduous channel set up to discourage those with weak constitutions and half hearted wrongs to avenge had indeed set an interesting proposition at his feet. He was to assassinate a member of the royal family, discreetly and quietly. Poison wasn't really his style, but he had been trained in all forms of death since he could wield a knife affectively.

So, poison the heir to the throne he would. The client, Heero knew not who he was, had a thirst for power and his breath stank of the most sickening greed. He had offered Heero the largest amount of money for a mission he had ever undertaken. It would be enough for him to retire on; enough for him to stop the petty and greedy assassinations. Not that he would. He hadn't decided whether he really wanted to stop and settle down or not.

He glared coldly at a waitress wondering too closely to his secluded table and lifted the mug to his lips. The ale was room temperature and bitter in his dry mouth, but soothing on his dry throat. His skin was itchy and the smell of mud, rain, and road clung to him like a loose strumpet. The bath he paid extra for would do him some good before he turned in. Tomorrow he would scope out the castle, look for weakness in its defenses and holes in its patrols.

He was just standing when the door to the dining hall cracked open emitting a boy, no man, with a long braid and creamy clean skin dressed in the dark clothes of a commoner. Heero stilled in his departure and sat to watch the movements of this creature so out of place. The rest of the drunkards and the whores in the room paid the boy no mind. Some of them nodding in greeting and some just slumped over in an ale induced haze.

It seemed like a normal and usual thing, but something about the man rang false to Heero. Something about him just didn't seem to fit the atmosphere. Something about him was off.

He walked with his head held high, his steps precise and measured. The long haired man had a deadly strength underneath his loose commoner's clothing, but Heero observed that they were off as well. They didn't fit quite right. Perhaps, just the slightest bit small. There were no smudges of dirt on his face, no stubble on his chin, no disarray to his hair like any other night crawler would have.

The man walked up to the bar and leaned over to speak to the barmaid, making her giggle and blush before she hurried off to the back to fill his request. He watched after her with a mischievous grin that seemed to suit his face tolerably well.

Heero watched as the maid came back with a small barrel of ale and set it on the table quickly scooping up the immaculately clean gold pieces the young man had laid on the bar in payment. That more than anything tipped Heero off. He blinked and just barely missed the braid trailing out of the door before it closed behind the mystery man.

Well, well; looks like we have an imposter. Heero grinned to himself. Perhaps a little diversion from his mission wouldn't hurt. He could do with a little entertainment and this noble imposter looked to be able to provide that in spades.

Standing up from his table, Heero laid his payment next to his mostly full mug then made his way up stairs and on to the baths. He would have plenty of time to investigate the mystery man tomorrow, but for right now all he wanted was a bath and the bed he paid for.

* * *

Duo stumbled through his bedroom window as the sky had begun to gray. His head was fuzzy with the ale he and his gang had consumed, his belly was full with bread and fruit, and his heart was filled with the lecherous and lewd songs sung in the streets with his friends. God, how he loved to sneak into town!

He snagged his foot on the window sill and stumbled the rest of the way into his room, colliding with his desk and landing rather ungracefully on the slate floor.

"Ow…"

"Good God! David James Maxwell! Are you drunk?!" Quatre, good sweet Quatre rushed from his perch in the prince's royal bed to assist his inebriated friend off of the floor. "Oh, god! Wufei is going to have my head for this."

"'S okay, Quat." Duo giggled as he leaned heavily on his smaller friend's shoulder. "I won't tell if you won't."

Rolling his eyes, Quatre dragged his friend toward the huge four poster bed across the room and deposited him on the downy mattress with an undignified grunt. "One of these days Duo, you are going to be the death of me."

Duo waved a hand negligently at him and fell backward to sprawl sporadically on his bed. "Pshhh! I'm just a little drunk." He held up his fingers to show just how little he was drunk and succeeded in proving Quatre's claims.

Sighing to him self, the blond squire bent over and began to undress his prince then pushed, tugged, and shoved Duo into a relatively comfortable position to sleep in before tucking him in and climbing in on the other side.

"I'm sorry, Quat." Duo's voice sounded the slightest bit more sober. It seemed his adrenalin high had worn off and the tiredness was catching up to him. "I know I worry you. It's just that… the castle is so…" Huffing in frustration, Duo growled and dug his fingers into his hair.

Pulling his friend's hands away from his beautiful hair, Quatre pulled him to his chest and cuddled him like a child. "I know Duo. Get some sleep and we can talk about it in the morning."

"It's already morning." Duo's voice was muffled from where his face was pressed into his childhood friend's shoulder. They had cuddled themselves together in the royal bed since they were children and neither was uncomfortable with their physical closeness. Of course there were rumors floating around the castle, but neither boy paid any mind to them.

Sighing, Quatre tugged gently on his friend's braid eliciting a grunt from his human body pillow. "I know. We'll talk about it when you wake up. Get some sleep or I _will_ tell Wufei about this."

"Meany." But Duo was already falling asleep before anymore teasing could go between the two friends. He was more tired than he had thought. Sneaking out two or three times a week was putting strain on him in ways he didn't even realize.

Sighing contently, he dreamed of open sky, endless fields, and the freedom to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.

* * *

TBC…


	2. Over the River and Through the Woods

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

notes: I first wrote this as a oneshot then later seperated it into chapters. Each chapter has a diffrent length from the others so some may be extremely long and some may be rather short. There are rather graphic lemons so they will be indicated at the begining of the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 02: Over the River and Through the Woods

* * *

The sky was dark and the only light was cast by the overly full moon and the bright stars as Heero observed the changing of the guard out side of the castle walls. It had been a long couple of days.

Heero never let himself start a mission without sufficient reconnaissance or intelligence. His contact didn't give him enough to complete the mission without endangering himself so here he was sitting atop a tree watching the lazy guard gossip about the scullery maids.

He may have been watching the guard in order to fulfill the job he was paid for, but he was also watching the castle walls for any sign of the mysterious braided young man he had glimpsed at the Inn. Those perfect features and that golden brown hair that reached down to his back side had plagued Heero for two days.

Though the chance of sighting the beautiful man was exciting, Heero told himself he was only lingering outside the castle wall to gather the sufficient intelligence he needed about its defensive precautions. He just ignored the fact that he had already gathered enough the previous night.

With a heavy sigh he could no longer fool himself into watching the castle. He needed to go back to the Inn and get some rest. The next day he was due to prepare him self for the infiltration. He wouldn't be completing the assassination for another week, regardless. It was too risky to be the new guy in town right as a member of the royal family was murdered.

Shimmying off of his perch in the giant oak tree, Heero landed gracefully on the cushioned ground. Looking up and scanning his surroundings to make sure he wasn't attracting attention he began to turn and head back toward the town when a glint of moon light on a pale face at the top of the castle wall caught his attention.

Crouching down near the base of the tree, Heero watched in fascination as the dark clothed figure waited for the guards to pass under his poison of the wall before dropping like a cat from the ten foot wall and running silently toward the forest.

Heero's breath caught as he spied the long glowing braid slide over the sneaker's shoulder. It was the mystery man from the Inn.

Against his better judgment and his life long training Heero gave in to his curiosity and began to follow the silent man through the forest as he made his way toward Peacemillion. To his astonishment, the young man moved with the ease and grace of thief and the quietness of an assassin. His curiosity was growing by the step.

The braided stranger made a turn and disappeared in a gathering of trees. Heero followed him, but pulled up short when he realized the young man was nowhere to be found.

He stood perfectly still and listened to the silence of the night. It seemed like he had been there for hours before he finally heard the tale tell sounds of far off laughter and talking drift toward him on the wind.

Taking carefully calculated steps in the directing of the festivities, Heero soon came upon a rather large group of what appeared to be street urchins all drinking, eating, and laughing together around a surprisingly large campfire.

Keeping his distance lest he be seen, Heero crouched on the edge of the clearing and observed the gathering with no little interest, his eyes scanning the faces looking for one in particular.

There were several women, all dressed in men's trousers and shirts with shortened hair and smudged faces. Young men and some mere boys made up the majority of the assembly all with ratty clothing, dirty faces, and messy unkempt hair. All but one.

Heero spotted him sitting by the fire with what appeared to be a girl with short choppy black hair and an ample bosom sitting upon his lap, both swigging from the same ale filled skin.

Their voices drifted toward him as he focused his attention on them and on the mysterious castle sneak.

"Duo, tell us more about life in the castle." The girl giggled as he bounced her a little trying to reach for an apple that was just out of reach.

"Owh!" cried a blond boy from across the fire with a corncob pipe hanging from his lips. "Lay off, Hilde! We've heard about the castle a million times. And it never gets any less boring."

"Shut up Solo!" Hilde tossed an apple core at him, her furious scowl making him laugh even as he dodged the harmless weapon. "Just cause you don't want to live there doesn't mean the rest of us can't dream about it."

As the group laughed at the scene being made by the arguing pair, Heero smirked to himself. So it would seem that his mystery man, Duo, worked in the castle at the very least. If he could get close enough to him, he might be able to glean useful information about the castle, about his target.

"Ok! Ok! Shut up!" Duo lifted Hilde off his laugh with surprising ease and stood to the furious shushing of his companions.

"I'll tell you about the castle if you really want to know."

"Yeah!" They all cried, some more coherently than others.

A smug grin stretched at Duo's lips that reminded Heero of a mischievous fox. "Well, you all know that it's haunted, don't you?"

The group shook their heads, some laughing at the absurdity and some getting ready for a good story regardless of its truth or not.

Solo grumbled under his breath, "Well that's new." But Heero noticed the slight smile playing at his mouth as he continued to nurse his pipe.

"Oh yes." Duo grinned. He was in his element. He'd been trained since birth to hold a captive audience, but he had never found it as enjoyable as he did when he was entertaining his street family with tails of his adventures in the castle. Of course they were under the impression that he worked in the kitchens, Solo being the only one that knew the truth, but it didn't make weaving stories any less enjoyable.

"A great big beast of a thing roams the halls in the west wing." Some of the younger members gasped while the more adult, Heero refused to think of any of these drunken urchins as completely adult, grinned in amusement. "It stands at eight feet tall with the snout of a wolf, a mien like a lion, and the claws of a bear."

The assembly gasped, the sheer gruesomeness described had their eyes lighting in fascination and their hearts pumping in excitement. Heero frowned from his crouched hiding place at the edge of the clearing, the description of the beast sounded strangely familiar to him but he couldn't place where he had heard it before.

"It roams the castle at night, but when the first rays of the sun appear in the sky it retreats to its wing lest he be turned to stone by the suns light." Duo was holding his audience on the seat of their pants. A quick glance at his friend told him that Solo was enjoying the story despite himself.

"One day though, the fearsome beast stumbled across the young princess of the castle in his roaming." Duo crouched to demonstrate just how young the princess was. Heero estimated somewhere around six or seven years old as he watched, riveted, while Duo spun his story.

"Her cherubic features and her childish innocents charmed him and warmed his stony heart."

"What's cherubic?" An enthralled young boy no older than twelve or thirteen asked from his position with the youngest of the group to the right of Duo.

"It's a type of angel." Duo answered not missing a beat as he smiled at the suddenly blushing boy.

"Oh." He gave Duo a shy smile and blushed even deeper.

"What happened then Duo?" Chirped a small little girl with a shaggy pony tail and fraying trousers.

"Well," Duo continued, "The beast fell instantly in love with the little princess. She wasn't afraid of his gruesome appearance, of his gruff manner, but she was saddened by his loneliness and asked him what she could do to make him feel happy."

Duo's demeanor changed with the events of the story. He was no longer smiling mischievously or grinning happily. Heero found himself sucked into the mood like every other listener. The slump in Duo's shoulders and the smooth neutral expression on his handsome face made Heero's chest ache in sympathy for the beast.

Jolting suddenly out of the spell Heero shook his head and frowned at himself for being manipulated by a mere story teller. Never the less he turned his attention back to the gathering.

"The beast replied that nothing could make him happy but for a kiss from the little princess." Duo had to stop himself from laughing outright at the looks of disgust on the men's faces and the sighs of dreamy sweetness from the women. "The little princess gave a great smile. Then as the beast lifted her up to his height so that she could bestow upon him a kiss, the sun began to rise and the beast felt his body begin to stiffen into stone."

The group leaned forward in excitement and Heero found himself doing the same before he could stop himself causing a stick under his foot to crack. He stilled in apprehension, but upon seeing that the entirety of the group was still riveted to Duo's story he eased his weight back off that foot and continued to listen.

"What happened next!?" Hilde almost shouted from her seat, her dirty finger nails between her teeth in nervousness.

"The beast placed the princess back on her feet and smiled sadly as he quickly drifted back into the darkness of his wing without receiving his kiss." Duo's attention was caught momentarily as he saw Solo rise from his place at the very edge of the group and disappear silently into the trees.

"Oh that's horrible!" Hilde exclaimed.

Duo laughed good naturedly. "Yeah. I never said the story would end happily."

A squeak of surprise caught his attention and Duo smiled reassuringly at the young children at his feet. "Don't worry. I never said the story was over either." That brought relieved smiles to their faces.

Heero found himself echoing Duo's smile. Never before had he found himself so invested in a story, not even when he could remember his mother holding him close to her chest and weaving stories out of thin air.

He was so enthralled in Duo at the center of the gathering that he never heard the silent foot steps as they neared him from behind. He only became aware that he wasn't alone on the edge of the clearing when a foot kicked out and connected with the back of his head.

The whole gathering jumped as a stranger was practically thrown into their midst. Duo simply placed his hands on his hips and glared at the imposter.

Heero saw spots of back and spikes of white as pain exploded in the back of his head. He only became aware that he was now the center of twenty pairs of eyes when the blinding pain began to dissipate.

"Hey look Duo!" Solo laughed. "I found use a lawman!"

Duo scowled deeper and strode up to the sprawled figure that clutched his head in pain. "Man, Solo. What did you do to him?"

Solo smirked and puffed at his pipe as the peeper rolled at his feet in pain. "I just kicked him one." Seeing the disapproving frown from his younger friend, he shrugged. "Not that hard anyway."

"What are we gonna do with him?" Another of the men asked standing up to get a better look at the intruder. "We gonna kill him? I mean, a lawman knows where we are now."

"No!" Duo chided. "We're not going to kill him. Besides, he isn't a lawman."

"How do you know?" Solo wheedled petulantly. Duo gave him an obvious look. "Oh right." Sometimes Solo forgot that Duo wasn't exactly one of them. It would figure that the crown prince of the kingdom would be able to tell a lawman from a plain old peeping tom.

Sighing in exaggerated frustration, Duo bent down and examined the man still cradling his aching head. Straightening up Duo nudged the man with his toe. "Well get up. I know you're not that hurt."

Heero uncurled in a little embarrassment at playing injured when all he really got was a good knot on the head and a killer of a head ache. Once he was sitting up he glanced around the gathering to find that practically everyone was eyeing him wearily, except for Duo.

Duo studied the man before him with a startled eye. He was gorgeous.

A messy head of chocolate brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and golden tanned skin. He was obviously foreign, the slightly slanted eyes and darkened complexion gave that away, but he was a traveler. Duo was sure of that.

Heero glared at the long haired boy when he continued to stare at him. "Aren't you going to tie me up and torture me like all good criminals?"

A strange confused frown wrinkled at Duo's brow. "Don't judge us, Traveler. We're not the ones that were spying."

Heero suddenly felt an embarrassed blush creep up his neck. He knew Duo was no more a criminal than he was a saint, but he couldn't help feeling resentful that a mere street rat had succeeded in what countless other better trained men had failed in.

Nodded his still aching head Heero said, "I apologize. It is not my habit to be at another person's mercy." He was usually the one with people at his mercy. "What do you plan on doing with me now that you have discovered my eavesdropping?"

Duo's whole demeanor changed as he suddenly grinned like a fox and shouted. "Bring the man some ale for his head and some food for his belly! I do believe I have a story to finish."

The group surrounding them cheered and Heero simply stared on in astonishment.

* * *

Heero sat with a skin of ale in his left hand, his right rubbing at the protruding knot at the back of his head. After the passing out of more ale several of the party had disappeared in pairs into the forest, a few of the children had fallen asleep by the fire and the rest of had continued on in their previous occupation before Heero's appearance.

A body suddenly sitting next to him caused him to turn his head and identify his new companion.

Duo smiled kindly at the traveler, Heero, before inquiring, "Does your head still hurt?"

Heero snorted and turned his attention back on the slowly dwindling fire. "Does a bear shit in the woods?"

Duo was startled into a sudden bout of loud smooth laughter. "Well I guess that answers my question." He reached into his pack that he'd carried with him out of the castle and pulled out a small tin. "Here," he popped it open to reveal a creamy lavender smelling concoction. "This should help a little with the pain."

Sniffing the cream from his place, Heero stared at it wearily. "What is that stuff?" He always doctored himself if a job went bad and that usually entailed stitching or digging out of foreign objects. The thought of someone else attending to his wound, despite the lack of seriousness, was puzzling and strangely comforting.

Duo shrugged. "If you were listening then you already know that I'm not actually a street rat." He looked down at the tin in his hands.

Studying the young man's stature Heero stated quietly. "I figured as much. I saw you the other night buying a keg of ale at the Inn." Duo blushed, the rest of the group thought he stole it. "I saw you sneaking out of the castle tonight and decided to follow you."

Duo scowled in suspicion. "What were you doing hanging around the castle walls?"

Heero smirked. "What were you doing sneaking over the castle walls?"

A small chuckle broke Duo of his weary attitude. "Fair enough." He nudged at Heero's shoulder and ordered, "Turn around. I'm going to put this stuff on you."

Heero reluctantly let Duo turn him, but when he suddenly felt Duo's nimble fingers threading through his hair and tracing lines on his scalp in search of his injury a shiver ran down his spine and breath caught in his throat.

In an effort to distract himself from the pleasurable touches unknowingly bestowed by the young man behind him, Heero asked, "What is that stuff? You never answered my question."

Duo's fingers stilled at the question before one hand left Heero's scalp to scoop a small amount of the ointment into his fingers.

He had never been particularly close to his parents; his mother especially had been distant and wrapped up in court and the social obligations that had consumed her attention as queen. Instead he had been cared for and raised by his nanny, Helen. She was the closest thing to a true caring mother he had ever experience. She had many talents and one of them was the concocting and making of different remedies and medicines.

"My mother used to make all sorts of cures for the other servants of the castle. She taught me how to make the more simple solutions for things like bumps, scrapes, and mild coughs." Duo gently smeared the creamy light lavender colored ointment over the obvious knot on Heero's head. There was nothing he could do about it getting in the other man's hair but he figured Heero had already guessed that would happen as he didn't protest.

The cooling began immediately causing another involuntary shiver to travel down Heero's spine. He blinked in surprise, the pain was almost completely gone and Duo hadn't even taken his fingers away from Heero's scalp yet. "That stuff is amazing." Heero stated.

Duo blushed at the praise. "I don't make it as good as H-mom did, but I do a pretty good job."

Heero could still feel the cool tingling at the back of his head and smell the lavender as he turned to see Duo rubbing the excess cream on to his hands. "Why do you bring stuff like that with you when you sneak out of the castle?"

The blush increased and Duo hid it as he turned and packed away the ointment tin back into his satchel. "I bring it to help out, you know." He shrugged. "I have access to all sorts of bandages and healing ointments, but they don't. Life on the streets is dangerous and they depend on me for the stuff that I sneak out."

His assassin's heart gave a twinge as he listened to Duo. Heero had met many men in his travels and his jobs, but not a one came even remotely close to Duo. "Not many people would risk sneaking out of the castle to help a rag tag bunch of street urchins."

Duo watched as Solo and Hilde began to kiss in the shadows at the edge of the clearing, two of the youngest of the group cuddled closer together, and a pair of forest visitors stumbled back into the clearing with leaves in their hair and blushes on their cheeks. "They're not a bunch of streets urchins to me. They're my family."

Heero studied Duo's profile as the young man's words penetrated his hardened exterior. "You're a kind person Duo." He glanced back over the group. "They're lucky to have you as one of their family."

A tender smile played at Duo's lips. "Yeah. I'm lucky too." Then turning his attention back to Heero Duo's smile broadened. "And now you're lucky. They've sort of adopted you already."

"What do you mean?" Heero frowned.

"You've already got yourself a street name." Duo chuckled.

"And that would be?" Heero was not sure he wanted to be adopted by a group of street rats. Then again, being adopted by them would mean he was also adopted by Duo. Strangely enough that thought had an appeal that Heero was reluctant to explore.

"Traveler!" Duo laughed as though it should have been obvious. "Now, despite any and all of your protests, they will only call you Traveler."

Heero smirked at Duo's playful teasing. "Well since Traveler is my street name, what is yours?"

Duo's smile, if at all possible grew even larger and more mischievous. "Duo _is_ my street name."

Heero chuckled. "Aren't you going to tell me your given name then? You know mine." He liked speaking with Duo in this way. He felt comfortable, accepted, safe.

"Ah but see," Duo leaned back on his arms, still grinning, but his tone lowered making him sound almost husky, "a real street rat never reveals his given name."

Heero moved closer to the smirking young man and leaned toward him, matching him in tone. "Surely not never. There must be some way to find out such valued information." They were flirting. He knew it, Duo knew it, and Heero wasn't in the least bit wanting to stop.

"Well," Duo conceded with a slight blush as Heero drew ever closer. "The knowledge of a name must be earned with trust." He felt the temperature rise a degree as Heero suddenly stopped advancing, his face a scant inch away from Duo's.

Heero let his eyes travel from Duo's darkened violet eyes to his soft slightly parted mouth and plump lower lip. He was slipping, he knew it, and he was helpless to stop. Not that he wanted to. "And do you trust me?"

Duo grinned mischievously, blush still gracing his cheeks. "Most certainly not."

Heero closed the distance between them then; his lips meeting Duo's in a sudden jolt of pleasure that left spots behind their eye lids. Duo's lips parted almost immediately underneath his and their tongues touched and slid against each other.

Lifting his hands Heero placed them on either side of Duo's face holding them both steady as shock waves rushed through their systems. Duo suddenly clutched at Heero's shirt in a tight fist, unwilling to let Heero move farther away from him than neccisary. Their tongues continued to twist around each other.

Heero slid his tongue past Duo's and into the other boy's mouth tasting him, stroking the roof of his mouth, cheeks, teeth and tongue seemingly all at once and not enough. He tasted of ale and fruit, but under that was a more natural taste that couldn't be described. It was intoxicating and he couldn't seem to force himself to want to stop.

Duo couldn't remember when he closed his eyes and he didn't care to open them again. A shiver raced through his entire body as he tasted Heero's mouth. The feel of the chest beneath his hands and the scent of the lavender ointment mixed with an earthy male scent coursed through him causing shocks to set off in his body. The feel of Heero's tongue in his mouth of his tongue in Heero's was electrifying.

Heero fest rather than heard Duo moan as he worked his lips against his. They were so soft and pliant. Duo slid a hand from Heero's chest and wrapped it around his neck to draw the other man closer when an amused throat was cleared affectively cutting through the haze around them.

Withdrawing his tongue Heero let his eyes drift open as he sucked at Duo's bottom lip teasingly before breaking contact completely. Duo's eyes met his and the dilated, lust glazed violet made him shiver.

Duo sighed and rested his forehead against Heero's reluctant to let him move away completely. "What do you want Solo? I'm a little busy here."

His younger friend's annoyed tone didn't faze him, but he felt true regret when he said, "It's almost morning Duo. Time for you to go back."

Closing his eyes in resignation Duo pulled away form Heero and looked into his deep blue eyes. "Will you walk me back? It's on the way to Peacemillion."

Nodding, Heero began to stand and offered a hand to Duo helping him stand as well. "Come on. We better hurry or you're going to get into trouble."

Sighing sadly Duo bent to pick up his satchel and throw it over his shoulder. "See you later Solo."

"We're going to be in town for the next few days, Duo" Solo smiled at his sullen friend.

"Alright," Duo waved a hand at him. "See you in a couple of days." He turned and walked to Heero who was waiting at the edge of the clearing for him.

Smiling at his new companion Duo noticed that the sky was graying. He hadn't realized how much time had really passed. "Ready to go?"

Heero nodded and without real conscious thought to do so he reached down and intertwined his fingers with Duo's.

Duo gave him a brilliant smile before they both disappeared into the forest.

Solo grinned as he watched them depart. "About damn time he found someone."

* * *

Duo and Heero stood at the edge of the forest, the lightening sky illuminating the castle wall and Heero's face. He knew which one he didn't want to turn away from.

"How long are you going to be in Peacemillion?" He whispered as they crouched and watched the changing of the guards.

"I have a job to do." Heero replied then elaborated when Duo looked at him with saddened eyes. "I should be here for no less than a month." That is about as long as it would take him to gather enough information and successfully infiltrate the castle, but suddenly he found himself wishing that he was staying longer.

Duo frowned then nodded. That wasn't much time. He wanted to explore what was growing between them so badly he could feel it twisting his gut.

The guard had just settled down and the sky was getting dangerously light now. Duo looked back at Heero and gave him a smile. "I have to go, Traveler." He blushed as he said, "It was a… pleasure to meet you."

Heero caught his arm just as he was about to spring into the open. "Wait! Am I going to see you again?" He didn't know why he felt his chest clinch at the thought of never seeing this beautiful young castle servant, but he couldn't stand the ache it caused.

Duo studied the other boy's face before leaning in and kissing his slightly parted lips. Their lips moved together and when Duo pulled away all too soon he licked at Heero's bottom lip teasingly. "In two days time, Heero, I'll be climbing over that wall at dark." He placed another teasing kiss on Heero's tingling lips. "Be here waiting and you will get to see me again."

They shared a smile before Duo lunged out of the forest and sprinted toward the wall.

Heero watched him take a flying leap and walk a couple strides up the wall before he was able to curl his fingers over the edge and shimmy his way up and over the wall sending one last mischievous grin to a watching Heero before he dropped out of sight.

Smirking to him self as he began to make his way back through the forest toward Peacemillion, Heero touched lightly at his tingling lips.

He knew without a doubt that in two days at dark he would be waiting at the edge of the forest and watching the castle wall for the young man with the mischievous grin and the long teasing braid.

* * *

Duo leaned heavily against the castle wall and let a dreamy smile break out on his lips. He couldn't stop the butterflies from flying around in his belly and he couldn't calm his frantically beating heart.

He knew he had only met Heero tonight and barely spent any time with him but he never denied his feelings about anything and at that moment they were telling him that Heero was sending spasms of giddy pleasure through his body.

Oh! He couldn't wait until he told Quatre.

Quatre!

Fuck, he was so late. He told Quatre he would be home before sunrise. Glancing to his right he could just barely see the first rays of the sun.

Duo broke into a run and vaulted off of the fountain in the garden just barely catching hold of the roof's edge before he fell rather painfully into a holly bush. Scrambling over the edge he quickly regained his balance and practically ran toward his balcony on the third floor.

Once it was in sight Duo took a flying leap and made it half over the balcony's rail knocking the wind out of his lungs and jamming a knee on the stone rungs.

Duo's pained yelp jolted Quatre out of his fitful sleep in the prince's royal bed. Bouncing out of the feather soft bed the blond squire raced to the balcony in time to lunge out and catch the prince before his oxygen deprived body slid back over the rail and plummeted onto the roof below.

"Oh my God! David!" Quatre hauled the wheezing prince to safety and helped him limp into his chambers. "What on earth happened?!" Glancing out the balcony doors again, Quatre scowled. "And why were you out so late!? You promised you would be back well before sunrise this time!"

"I'm sorry, Quat." Duo coughed and collapsed onto his bed, gently flexing his knee and sucking in deep breaths of air. "I lost track of the time."

"How can you lose track of the time!? You stole your father's pocket watch just for the purpose of not losing track of the time." Quatre practically screeched. He had been worried sick and without being able to go out himself and hunt for Duo had stayed up most of the night thinking of all the horrible things that could have happened to him.

"Jeeze, calm down Quatre." Duo had regained most of his oxygen and had been smoothing some of Helen's ointment on his knee while Quatre had been ranting at him. "We had an eavesdropper at the camp and in the midst of all the excitement…" He shrugged trying and failing to hide his dreamy grin as he put away the tin. "I just forgot about the time."

Quatre raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What kind of eavesdropper?"

By the small blonde's tone of voice Duo knew he had been caught in his half lie. He hunched his shoulders trying to make himself as small as possible as he mumbled.

"I'm sorry." Quatre stated, sarcasm dripping from his lips. "I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

Straightening himself up and glaring petulantly at his friend, Duo declared, "I said a very attractive eavesdropper."

Quatre smacked himself on the forehead and sank down next to Duo on the bed. "I don't believe this. You made me stay up all night, worried sick about you and for what? A nice piece of tail?!"

"He didn't look like he had a tail," Duo mumbled under his breath.

"WHAT!?" Quatre grabbed at the prince's shirt in his surprisingly strong fists and shook Duo like he was a bucket of laundry. "Tell me I did not just hear what I think I heard, David James Maxwell."

Duo flinched; Quatre could be scary when he wanted to be. "I'm sorry Quatre! I know you said it's dangerous, but I'm pretty sure a girl could assassinate me just as easily as a guy could."

Quatre let go of Duo's shirt and deflated, all his anger suddenly washed away. "David, I'm just worried. All this sneaking out, and now this- this eavesdropper. How can you know that he wasn't following you?"

Duo rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. "Well that's the thing. He did follow me."

"David." Quatre wasn't amused.

"I know he's not some assassin or anything Quat. He was just watching me tell the gang a story when Solo kicked him in the back of the head." He smiled as Quatre chuckled a little bit at the image of Solo kicking someone in the back of the head.

He suddenly pulled his legs up under him and clutched at Quatre's hands. "Quat I've never felt like this before. He kissed me, Quat! And it was… amazing."

Quatre watched as Duo's eyes glazed over and he was in a totally different place with a totally different person. "David. How do you know?" He was sad to have to put a damper on his friend's happiness, but his safety was first and foremost.

Duo was brought crashing back down to earth. Trust his best friend and life long companion to make him see the reality of life as the crowned prince of the Sanq kingdom.

Sighing Duo sat back on the bed and looked at his hands resting in his lap. "I don't know, Quat. I can only trust in my gut, you know. Besides he doesn't know who I am. He thinks I work in the kitchens like the rest of the gang does."

Quatre's heart ached for his friend. Being the heir to the throne wasn't exactly an easy task to put upon a person as young and lively as Duo. "Ok Duo." He conceded, using Duo's street name. "I trust in your gut." He sighed and rolled his eyes at the sheer ridiculousness of it. "It's never led you wrong before so I'll let you have your happiness."

Duo's face brightened to almost blinding proportions. Quatre held up a finger halting him in his effort to tackle him in a giant hug. "But just this once. Got it?"

Duo nodded and grinned. "Got it. Just this once. Completely miserable after this, I promise." He chuckled and hugged Quatre so tightly the squire thought his ribs might crack. "Oh Quatre! You have no idea how gorgeous this guy is!"

Quatre smiled a little to himself as his friend went on to describe all about his eavesdropper. Yeah, he thought, he would let Duo have this; God knows he never has any other happiness in this God forsaken castle.

* * *

TBC...


	3. The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

**!Graphic Lemon!!Graphic Lemon!**

Chapter 03: The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

* * *

Duo strolled down the hall toward the armory for his afternoon sword lessons with Wufei when he bumped into Trowa.

"Hey Tro! I haven't seen you in ages." Duo smiled brightly at his cousin.

Trowa shook his head to the side displacing his unruly hair out of his face. "That happens when one is off fighting a war Duo."

Duo chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Right. Forgot about that."

Trowa was Duo's first cousin on his father's side. Trowa's father, Dekim Barton had been his father's half brother. Duo didn't particularly care for his uncle in the least but he had to put up with him until his eighteenth birthday when he could assume the throne his father had left behind when he died. It was safe to assume that half the reason Duo snuck out of the castle as much as he did was to get away from his nosy pretentious uncle.

The man just made Duo's skin crawl and that was putting it lightly. The fortnight after his father had died Dekim had married Duo's mother and assumed the kingly duties until Duo was old enough to take power. Duo wasn't in least bit pleased with the way Dekim was handling his father's kingdom and neither were the people. That had become apparent when Duo started to venture out into Peacemillion.

Trowa cocked his head to the side and studied his friend and cousin more closely. "You look tired, Duo."

Duo shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "Yeah, I stayed up late studying the last great wars of the millennia."

Trowa smirked knowingly. "Still sneaking out to run with your gang?" Out the seemingly hundreds of people that live and frequent the castle the only ones that know about Duo's nightly adventures were Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei.

Duo blushed and glanced around nervously. "Yeah and keep your voice down."

The taller young man simply laughed at his younger cousin's paranoia.

Duo growled. "Trowa you better not have told anyone or I'll tell Uncle Dekim about your laundry room rendezvous' with Quatre."

That wiped the smug smirk off his cousin's face right quick. "Duo, that's not funny." Trowa glanced around the hall himself.

"Yeah" Duo frowned in annoyance. "It's not funny when it's your secret someone's blurting out."

"I have kept your secret, David. And you promised to keep ours." Trowa crossed his arms, obviously not happy with the turn the conversation had taken.

"I have Trowa, and I will continue to do so until you break down and ask him to marry you." Duo broke the tension and smiled charmingly at his annoyed cousin. "So, what brings you to the Castle of Hell anyway, O' Cousin of Mine?"

Trowa smiled slightly. Duo never changed; not since they were kids. "War's over in Romafeller. You are another kingdom richer, my friend."

Duo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms petulantly. "You mean Dekim's another kingdom richer."

Trowa smirked rather evilly. "At least until you turn eighteen. When is that again? Another what? Two? Three weeks?"

Trowa would be the first person to tell you that he hated his own father. Dekim Barton had never shown interesting his son and had been hard and strict while he was growing up. In some ways Trowa had a harder childhood than Duo and he wasn't even being reared as the future king of a veritable empire. Not that he envied his cousin one bit, though.

No he had way more freedom than Duo and he liked his life just the way it was. Secret rendezvous' with a certain blond squire included.

"Four weeks thank you very much." Duo huffed, playing insulted, his nose in the air.

Trowa chuckled at his cousin's antics, till Duo un-cocked his head and looked at him questioningly. "One would think that you were plotting your own father's demise, Sir Barton."

"I don't need to plot that bastard's demise." Trowa grinned like a cat with feathers stuck between his teeth. "He does a fine job all on his own."

That caused quite the maniacal chuckle to escape Duo. Both cousins shared in a mutual hate for one: Dekim Barton. Duo knew that the first order of business when he was finally crowned king would be to sentence Dekim to death under the charges of crimes against the kingdom; and he had already given the executioner duties to his favorite cousin, Trowa.

Some would say that's cold even for an estranged son to be the executioner of his own father, but ever since Dekim had divorced Trowa's mother he had been nothing more than a bothersome name sake to Trowa.

Settling his laughter to a more manageable laugh Trowa decided to cut straight to business. "Speaking of the devil, I just came from his rooms. He wishes an audience with you."

Sighing heavily Duo nodded and turned back around the way he came. "Thanks Trowa. I'll be expecting you at dinner?" Trowa nodded. "Good, be a doll and tell Wufei that I'm going to be late for his instructions."

Both cousins parted and Duo made his way toward his uncle's rooms with a heavy grimace upon his brow. There was nothing more tedious than having to listen to his uncle's simpering and his mother's twittering. Egh! It just gave him the willies.

Knocking on the door a call to enter made Duo roll his eyes. These would be his rooms in another month and he saw almost no reason to wait for permission to enter.

"You wanted a word, Uncle." Duo strode into the room, his royal blue cloak billowing out behind him making him look even more regal than before.

"Ah yes." His plump uncle was sitting behind the large cherry wood desk his father used to sit at and looked very much at home. Duo resisted the urge to curl up his lip in a snarl. "Come in and have a seat my son."

Duo glanced around at the lounger where his mother usually perched, but found it empty much to his relief.

Dekim smiled sweetly at Duo and said, "You know, David, you can call me Father. After all, you are my son now."

"I had a father, he died. You have a son who is very much alive. I would suggest not forgetting those facts." Duo never played nice when it came to his throne stealing uncle.

Dekim frowned at the impertinent boy before him. "Boy, I have provided for you most of your life. I am married to your mother; therefore I am your father."

"Yes," Duo conceded. "You are married to the woman who bore me, not the woman who raised me. They are two very different women."

"David! I will not have you speak about your mother that way." Dekim's face was growing red and the vein in his forehead was throbbing.

Duo knew that the more unpleasant he was the longer his visit would be so he bowed his head in apology. "My apologies to the good woman. I do believe that you asked me here to discuss business."

Dekim eyed him as if he were about to jump up and bite him. "Yes. As you know we were engaged in a border skirmish with Romafeller." He pulled a map out of a decorated tube and rolled it out over the desk top. "Sanq now spans from the Caspian Sea to the Carpathian Mountains to the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains."

Duo reflected that Dekim looked unnaturally pleased with himself. "That's quite the area of land." His cousin had been out fighting for this land, risking his life at the order of his father and the only thing Dekim cared about was the growth of a kingdom that wasn't even his.

"Indeed." Dekim peered at the map in satisfaction then shook himself and smiled insincerely at his nephew come son. "That is quite the inheritance you will receive from your father."

Duo fought the urge to slap that slimy look off his face. Instead he nodded his head and stood to take his leave. "I thank you for the update, but I must get on with my day." He bowed his head fractionally then turned and left the room.

Dekim leaned back in his chair and frowned, his fingers tiered in front of his face. That insolent brat had been getting on his nerves for years.

He tried to be a nice man, a good father, a powerful king, but it just wasn't good enough for that brat. Oh he had always been planning on keeping the throne, even if it meant by use of force, but it would be a last resort.

He had hoped that if he buttered up to his half brother's son then the boy would be like all other royals: lazy and spoiled. But no, this one was different. He was smart and clever. He wanted his throne and knew how to rule it. Well, Dekim just couldn't have that.

An evil smirk flitted across his face. The boy wouldn't know what hit him. He would be dead before he could even scream; Dekim was going to make sure of that. Once the boy was disposed of, and before his eighteenth birthday he would be, then he would be on the throne; for good.

A soft chuckle left his lips as he looked back down at the map, the new Sanq borders outlined in red. Yes, he would be king, and he _was_ going to kill for it.

* * *

Heero stood at the bottom of the castle wall waiting patiently for Duo. It had been a horrible two days.

His nights had been plagued with visions of flowing golden brown hair, deep endless violet eyes, soft supple lips, and the smell of lavender. Every morning he woke with a hard on and every evening he would stare at the ceiling of his room at the Inn and imagine what Duo was doing then.

It sickened him how much the young man occupied his thoughts, but it warmed him whenever he recalled the memory of that smile, laugh, and those soft supple lips working against his. He knew it had only been one night but he just couldn't get it out of his head.

From the moment he saw Duo in that Inn he knew there was something off, something different, something unique about him. He was a stone cold killer, Heero would reason. There was no room for the warmth that Duo brought to his chest or the smile to his lips. But that was just it. He had been cold and hollow for so long, and Duo was filling him and warming him with the simple promise of meeting him again.

It was too much. He would say to himself. It wasn't nearly enough. He would answer himself back.

A soft curse and a pebble hitting him on the head caught Heero's attention. Turning around and looking up, he almost burst out laughing at the sight Duo presented.

Duo had his butt and legs on one side of the wall while his stuffed to the brim satchel and his arms were stuck on the other side. "Heero!" He whispered frantically. "Help me!"

Heero could just barely reach up and get a hand under Duo's foot even at his tall height. "Duo! What on earth are you bringing with you?!"

"Just shut up and hold still while I get unstuck!" Duo growled as he worked at the jagged edge his satchel was caught on to get the bag loose. "AHA!"

His shout echoed in the silent night and his suddenly triumphant arm thrust threw off his and Heero's balance causing their unstable support system to collapse to the ground.

Heero landed on his back a rock jabbing him in the ribs with Duo on top of him and the satchel chocked full of God knows what on top of him. The wind was knocked out of him and Duo couldn't help giggling wildly as he struggled to get off his savior and help the poor man breathe.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright?!" Duo whispered furiously as he wrestled with the satchel.

Heero coughed once, wheezed twice then fisted a hand in Duo's shirt and yanked the struggling man toward him. Their lips collided almost violently, but Heero swallowed Duo's yelp of surprise and moved his lips hungrily over Duo's.

Their tongues met and twined together before invading the other's mouth and tasting what they both had missed for what seemed like far too long.

Pulling back, his lips still wrapped around Duo's full, luscious bottom lip Heero nibbled on it lightly. "Now I am."

Duo felt a giddy giggle bubble up his chest but clamped it down when he heard the guards begin their trudge toward their stations around the wall. "Hurry!" He whispered frantically. "They're coming."

He struggled to his feet under the weight of his satchel and yanked Heero to his feet before pulling him urgently into the forest.

They had been running for a while before the sounds and lights of Peacemillion could be observed from a distance and they slowed to a walk.

After catching their breath Heero smiled at Duo and pulled him to his chest once again to wrap his tongue around his and taste the sweet flavor that was only Duo. Pulling away after quite a few moments, Heero reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair way from Duo's eyes and tucked it behind his ear. "I know it sounds strange, but I really missed you, Duo."

"That's not strange at all." Duo breathed, his hands running up and down Heero's muscular back, loving the feel of him under his soft cotton shirt. "I missed you too, Heero."

Heero leaned forward and kissed at the corner of Duo's moist mouth then buried his hand in the base of Duo's braid and pulled him into a tight desperate embrace. "I dreamt of you." He breathed into Duo's lavender scented hair. God did everything about this man smell of lavender. "You fucking haunted my dreams."

Duo nuzzled Heero's neck cherishing the feel of his soft skin against his cheeks. "If this is the punishment for such a crime then I'm glad to have committed it."

They both laughed, still clutching tightly to each other for a moment before pulling apart leaving only their hands clasped tightly as they walked toward town.

"What's in your bag anyway Duo?" Heero asked the third time Duo shifted it uncomfortably on his shoulder.

"Clothes for the kids." Duo readjusted the bag once again before smiling at Heero's disbelieving face. "They don't get much in the way of new things, you know. I bring clothes from the castle as often as I can. It's the least I can do."

Heero studied Duo's blushing and embarrassed face, before leaning over and kissing him lovingly on the cheek. "You are one in a million, Duo."

That brought an even deeper blush to Duo's face and a hard pitter patter to his chest. "How do you know that?" He asked. "You've only met me twice."

Heero blushed at the mention of his quick attachment. "In my line of work," he began, "I have met and dealt with every sort of man on this earth. And you," he tapped Duo on the nose, "are like none I have ever met."

Duo scrunched his nose to displace the finger then smiled brightly and leaned forward to take Heero's lips in a slow tender kiss with a grin tugging at his mouth. "You know, for such a handsome roguish looking man you are really just a big softy aren't you."

Chuckling Heero conceded, "We can't all have the face of royalty Duo."

That brought Duo up short as a sudden spark of pain lanced through his heart. This man, this gorgeous, kind, tender, sexy, delicious man can never know who he really is. Though, not by his choice. If it was his choice he would just waltz out of the castle doors and foxtrot right into Peacemillion, crown be damned, but for his safety, for the gang's safety, and the safety of this wonderful man who had already stolen his heart no one can know that he is the crowned prince of Sanq.

Heero stopped and looked at his companion. Duo had a pained expression as he stared off into the distant lights of Peacemillion. "Are you alright Duo?"

Jolted out of his momentary crumbling world, Duo gave his worried companion a smile. "Yeah, just this damned bag is heavy."

"Here," Heero reached over and lifted the satchel off of Duo's shoulder with surprising ease. "Let me carry it the rest of the way. You'll be too tired otherwise to tell your story to the gang."

"Nah." Duo smiled and grabbed Heero's hand, entwining their fingers after Heero had the satchel situated. "I'm never too tired to tell them stories."

"I should hope not." Heero chuckled. "You tell wonderful stories."

Duo smiled at him with such beauty it almost took Heero's breath away. "Thank you, Heero. That means a lot to me."

They traveled on in silence for a ways until they were about to break out of the woods and enter Peacemillion proper. Duo stopped and looked into Heero's eyes. "Heero, I may have the face of a king, but I have the heart of commoner." His voice was soft like dew on a leaf. "And because of that you will never be far from my heart."

Raising his hands Duo stroked them down Heero's cheeks than leaned in to give him a gentle kiss before turning and walking into Peacemillion. Heero staring after him with a warm smile permanently etched to his lips.

Solo hailed them as they stepped under the door way of the abandoned church and were immediately surrounded by laughing and talking street children all excited to see what Duo had brought them.

"Calm down, guys. Everyone will get something, I promise." Duo laughed happily as the kids tore him from Heero's side and pulled him toward the small cooking fire where a few rabbits were roasting.

Heero watched the scene with a small smile on lips till a presence at his side distracted him.

"He really is something, isn't he Traveler?" Solo puffed on his pipe as he watched Duo hand out shirts and trousers to the kids, all looking at the new garments in awe.

Heero flicked his eyes toward him wearily. "He is amazing." He didn't believe in mincing words and Solo found that admirable.

"He means a lot to us street rats, you know." He blew out a puff a smoke momentarily obscuring the scene in front of him. "We would do anything for our Duo." At this he gave Heero a meaningful look.

Heero returned his look with one of comprehension and understanding. "At this moment I would do just about anything for him as well." He didn't know why or how that could happen but it did and he believed it right down to the bottom of his soul.

Solo chuckled good naturedly. "He has that affect on people. It's the kind of trait you would find in a king. A good king." He watched Heero's face as he said these words. "Too bad our king doesn't have Duo's kind heart." He scoffed.

Heero glanced at him and decided not to comment. He agreed, from what he had heard around Peacemillion the acting king was a power hungry glutton. But he preferred not to talk bad about the cow that was giving him milk.

Solo moved off, a gleam in his eye. Traveler was an interesting fellow. He knows what he wants and how to get it. He knows himself well and is confident in that. That much was apparent from just looking at him. Solo decided to watch this Traveler very carefully.

He may not be a threat to either his gang or to Duo, but one can never be too careful. Or so he has discovered in his life on the streets of the capital city.

* * *

Duo sighed happily as he leaned against Heero and patted his slightly distended belly. "Man, you know, living in the castle you don't get good home cooked meals like rotisserie rabbit."

Smirking Heero ran a hand down Duo's braid absent mindedly. "I thought it was a little lean my self."

They both laughed and quieted as the youngest of the gang closest to them shifted in their sleep warm next to the fire, their new clothes draped over their frame comfortably. "Duo, do you think you should be heading back yet?"

Groaning as if in pain Duo rolled closer to his human body pillow and buried his face in Heero's chest. "No."

"Come on Duo." Heero nudged his shoulder, displacing Duo's head. "I don't want you to get caught because you cut it close like last time."

"Well aren't we just king of castle." Duo's petulant joke and the irony there in was lost on all but himself and Solo who simply chuckled as he puffed harder on his pipe, arms wrapped around Hilde who was lightly snoring against his chest.

Smiling fondly down at the reluctant boy attached to his side Heero shifted and began to stand leaving no choice for Duo but to get up and face the inevitable. If he could he would stay forever with his street rat gang. "Aw, do we have to?"

"Yes, we do." Heero sounded firm but the warmth in his eyes belayed his stern frown. "I want to just about as much as you do, but we don't have a choice, come on."

Duo finally got up and retrieved his pack, waved farewell to Solo and the two of them slipped out and into the dark street to make their way toward the forest and toward the castle.

They walked in silence till the lights and sounds of Peacemillion were far behind them. Then Heero turned to Duo and pulled him into a deep breath stealing kiss. "Duo, when will you be sneaking out again?"

For some unreasonable reason Heero couldn't let himself pull away from Duo's firm welcoming embrace.

Duo shivered as Heero's mouth moved from his to travel light kisses down his jaw to his neck. "I-…" His breath hitched as Heero's tongue peeked out to lick at the junction of his neck and shoulder. "I don't know, a couple days maybe."

Duo grasped at Heero's back and let his head fall back allowing Heero more access as he growled, "Not soon enough."

"Nng!" Duo grunted in pleasure as Heero accentuated his point by biting down lightly on his earlobe. "I-… I can't sneak out more than three times a week."

"Why?" Heero had never whined in his life, but it would seem that night he would gladly take it up if it meant seeing Duo.

Chuckling rather breathlessly as Heero rocked their hips together, Duo pointed out, "I have duties to attend to."

Heero pulled away just enough to look into Duo's half lidded eyes. "Can't you get one of the other servants to take some of your duties?"

Sighing internally, Duo placed both hands on Heero face. "No, I'm sorry. I can't." Then he feathered a light kiss over Heero's mouth and offered, "But I can give you something that will help you remember me for the next two or three days."

Eyes widening Heero pulled back again to look at his companion with a comically surprised expression on his face.

Duo laughed and pulled him back into his arms and began to kiss a trail down Heero's neck.

"Are… are you sure?" Heero had to struggle to breathe as Duo's soft lips sent waves of pleasure across his skin.

"Mmm…" Duo was thoroughly enjoying licking that patch of sensitive skin behind Heero's ear; too busy enjoying to really respond.

"Duo." Heero's voice sounded stern but the way his body shivered lent Duo to believe otherwise but still he backed off enough to comprehend the words Heero was saying. "Are you sure? I don't… I don't want to take you and then you regret it afterward."

Duo smiled lovingly at him. "No, Heero." He stretched and kissed each of Heero's eyes lids as they fluttered closed. "Never regret. I'm sure. I won't regret it, ever."

Heero let out a shaky breath then opened his eyes and took Duo's lips with his own as he lowered them both to the forest floor.

Their lips massaged against each other as their tongues twined together. Heero's hands found the hem of Duo's shirt and slipped underneath it to stroke the soft muscular stomach it hid. Duo arched into the touch then gasped as Heero's heated fingers found his nipples.

"Ah!... Heero!" Duo grasped at Heero's shoulder then began to tug futilely at his shirt. "I… I want to feel you against me."

Heero smiled down at him and placed a kiss on the hollow between his collar bones before sitting up and pulling his shirt over his head, then helping Duo as he pull his off.

Duo's hands immediately began to stroke over Heero's frame. In the dark of the forest and the light of the stars Duo couldn't see the scars littered over Heero's chest and back but he could feel them.

Lifting himself up, he leaned forward and placed a gentle tingling kiss on a jagged scar above Heero's right nipple. "How did you get so many?" The question was asked quietly, almost reverently.

Heero shuddered as Duo's lips continued to traverse over his many scars and wounds sending shocks of heat through his body. "Did I ever tell you how dangerous being a traveler could be?"

He couldn't tell Duo he was an assassin. Not now, not yet.

Duo chuckled and bent down to swipe his tongue over a long healed gash just above Heero's navel. "You'll have to tell me sometime."

Feeling Duo's tongue working over his skin sent shivers of pleasure through his blood. Placing his hands on either side of his face, Heero lifted his head up to face him. "Maybe later, I will."

He lowered them back down onto the ground and continued his exploration, his lips feathering burning kisses over Duo's neck and shoulders down the center of his sternum and across to lick at a hardened nipple.

Whimpering as Heero then took his nipple into his mouth and began to suckle at it Duo arched up, threading the fingers of one hand into Heero's messy chocolate hair and the over clawing desperately as his broad shoulders. His pleasure as well as the swelling in his groin almost doubled when Heero brought his fingers to his other nipple and circled the hardened flesh with the calloused pad of his thumb.

"Huuh! Ah… Heero…" Duo arched again and began to rock against Heero's thigh between his legs. The aching hardness was almost unbearable. "More Heero! I need more."

Heero abandoned his torture with one final lick to both nipples before he continued his path lower, all the way inhaling the scent of Duo's skin becoming slick with sweat. "You're beautiful, Duo. So beautiful."

Duo sighed and combed his trembling fingers through Heero's dampening bangs as he lapped at his belly just below his navel.

Moving down a few more inches Heero eyed the impressive bulge straining at Duo's brown trousers. Giving into his urge, he nosed at the bulge up and down causing Duo's hips to buck involuntarily and his head to fall back as whimpers escaped his throat.

Moving quickly to unbutton and discard the trousers covering his lover, Heero wasted no time in taking Duo's dripping erection in his hand and giving it a slow pump. Duo shuddered in pleasure and continued to beg, _order_ Heero to continue.

Heero smiled and took in the scene his beautiful castle sneak made, his body slicked with sweat, his hair plastered to his face, a face that was relaxed in the throws of pleasure, before he drew Duo's weeping head into his eager salivating mouth. Duo arched completely off the ground and nearly came when his erection was engulfed in a hot wet cavern and continued to be engulfed inch by inch.

Heero ran his tongue along the pulsing vain on the underside of Duo's erection then over the hardened head spreading the pre-cum and getting a taste of the bitter sweet flavor that was everything about Duo.

"Oh God! Heero! I'm gonna… I can't…!" Duo wilted back down to the leaf covered earth as Heero withdrew his mouth.

"Not yet…" Duo panted, feeling the need to suck as much oxygen into his aching lungs as possible. "Want you inside me first."

"Soon, my love." Heero whispered as he quickly shuffled out of his own trousers then paused and looked around in dismay. "Duo, I don't have anything to ease the way."

"It's ok!" Duo gasped. His erection was painfully insistent his whole body felt as if it was ready to fall apart.

"No! Duo, I don't want to ever hurt you. Not even for this, I won't hurt you." Heero gazed at his lover pleadingly. As much as he wanted to be joined with the beautiful young man in front of him he was not going to hurt him trying to reach that goal.

"No, love. It's ok. I have something. In my satchel." Duo pried his eyes open and watched as Heero snatched up his discarded bag and began to rifle through it. "In the silver tin. The ointment should work."

Heero pulled the tin out and flipped it open, immediately tickled by the light lavender sent. He crawled back over the Duo and leaned forward to give him a long tender kiss as he scooped out some ointment and spread it over his fingers.

Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's neck not letting him move too far away. He could smell the lavender and it caused butterflies in his belly. He was excited and nervous, but most of all he was ready to have Heero inside of him, become one with him.

Heero kept their mouths connected, teeth pulling lightly at Duo's bottom lip, tongue teasing Duo's as he began to stroke his fingers along the cleft of Duo's butt. Duo shivered in his arms then moaned when Heero's fingers found and circled the puckered entrance spreading the cool tingling ointment over his sensitive skin.

He pulled their lips apart and rested their foreheads together. "This may hurt at first."

Duo shook his head lazily. "Mmm. Ointment will help with the pain." He didn't expect Heero to hurt him even without the ointment but it was always nice to have some level of back up on that plan.

Heero smiled down at his almost sleepy expression as he pressed his first finger into the entrance eliciting a sudden gasp and arching of Duo's back. "Hurt?"

The cooling of the ointment had faded leaving only the smell of lavender. "No." Duo panted as Heero pushed his finger further in. "Ngh! Feels good."

Heero worked his first finger in and out of his lover until the muscles loosened enough for him to add a second, but by then Duo was writhing in his arms and pushing down on to his fingers wanting them deeper than they could possible go.

By the time Heero had worked in his third finger Duo deemed himself stretched and Heero was perfectly happy to agree with him. Withdrawing his fingers Heero scooped out more ointment and spread it over his erection hissing as the cooling made him shiver and helped to calm him down so it wouldn't end too soon.

He kept one hand at the base of his erection to guide it and held his weight with the other. Duo lifted his legs to his chest and spread them as wide as they would go. He was aching inside and out to have Heero inside of him. "Heero, I'm ready." His voice quivered with anticipation.

Heero locked his eyes on Duo's as he guided himself to the contracting entrance. The head of Heero's erection brushed Duo's opening making him shiver and urge to buck his hips and hurry the process along.

Thrusting slowly and gently, Heero gritted his teeth as Duo's body swallowed the head of his erection completely and continued to pull him inside. When he was fully seated he knew he wasn't going to be able to see straight. "Are you ok?"

Duo's legs were shaking and his body was quivering in pleasure. He could feel Heero pulsing inside of him, could feel his heat penetrating him from the inside out. Heero's erection stroking every nerve ending he could reach inside of him. "Ah! Heero!..." He reached up and clasped desperately to Heero's arms. "Move! Please! I need to feel you moving inside me."

Heero didn't ask twice. He began to move in slow lazy thrusts savoring the feeling of Duo's tight hot body gripping him so tightly he could see stars. Duo soon began to rock with him driving him deeper into his body, but still striving for more.

Wrapping his legs around Heero's waist, Duo changed the angle of penetration and the head of Heero's erection brushed teasingly over that spot inside of him.

Arching wildly Duo gasped and dug his short nails into Heero's shoulder blades creating crescent shaped divots in his skin. Heero arched his own back in response to the sudden shock of pain in his back. "Duo! Did I hurt you?!"

"Nooo." Duo collapsed back onto the earth. "That felt amazing. Keep going. Don't stop." Heero thrust back in and hit that spot again. "Deeper!"

Duo shifted his legs to wrap higher around Heero's ribs affectively driving him deeper than before causing both of them to gasp in pleasure. "Faster… Harder!"

Heero began to thrust with all his might, his erection connecting with Duo's prostate almost every thrust driving them both closer to the edge of climax.

"Duo! Ah!..." Duo tightened his muscles as Heero hit his prostate once again causing Heero falter in his rhythm. "I'm close Duo. So close."

"I want to come with you." Duo's voice sounded raw from screaming his pleasure into the night.

Heero moved one of his hands between their tightly entwined bodies and wrapped it around Duo's burning hot weeping erection.

Duo arched into his touch and within a few strokes was digging his fingers into Heero's shoulder blades in orgasm, his seed streaming from his erection between their bodies to coat his stomach and Heero's hand.

Heero's erection was squeezed as Duo's passage convulsed around him heightening his pleasure and making it difficult to continue thrusting. Within moments of Duo's orgasm Heero followed, releasing his seed to fill Duo's body.

Sighing as he came down from his orgasm he shivered as the feeling of Heero's hot seed filling him sent another milder wave of pleasure through his body. Heero lowered himself slowly down to lay atop Duo as they both struggled to catch their breath.

Duo uncurled his legs from around Heero's waist and let them slide down his lover's body to tangle with his legs letting every muscle in his body relax. Heero wasn't ready to withdraw from Duo's tight hot passage so he simply lay there and began to pepper light kisses over Duo's damp shoulder and neck.

The feeling of Duo's stroking up and down over his slightly abused shoulders brought he face up to look upon Duo's completely relaxed features, a small smile playing at his kiss swollen, plump lips. Propping himself up on his elbows Heero brought one hand forward to brush sweat dampened bangs way from Duo's forehead and eyes. "You are so beautiful, Duo."

His eyes fluttering open, Duo lifted his head and placed a gentle kiss to the up lifted corner of Heero's mouth. "It's crazy, but I love you so much."

Heero chuckled. "It's not crazy."

"We've only known each other for two days, Heero. How is that not crazy?" Duo smirked as he combed his fingers through Heero's messy damp hair. It was softer than it looked and, Duo discovered, smelled fresh like a spring in the forest.

Heero laid his head back down on Duo's shoulder, savoring the sound of his heart beat and the feel of their bodies still intimately joined. "For some it only takes two hours, you know. I'd say we were late bloomers."

That surprised a chuckle from Duo's lips as he wrapped his arms tighter around Heero's shoulders and held him close to his chest, not wanting to ever let go. "You know, the first time I saw you in the clearing clutching your head and glaring death at everyone I could have sworn you were cold and hollow."

Pain laced through Heero's chest at just how true those words had been before he had ever seen the mysterious out of place young man in the Inn that night. "I was cold and hollow." He whispered surprising Duo once again. "But you warmed and filled me."

He lifted his head again and looked deep into Duo's dark violet eyes. "That's how I know it's not crazy, Duo. You did what no one else could have ever possibly hoped to accomplish."

A tear trickled down Duo's cheek. Heero caught it with his thumb and whipped it away tenderly. "I love you, Duo. So much it's scary."

"It's not scary." Duo smiled despite the sudden wash of tears pouring down his cheeks, too many for Heero to catch. "It's not scary, because I love you too, just as much."

They smiled then caught each other's lips in a deep passion filled kiss, expression everything they couldn't hope to put into words and everything they hope to continue on saying for the rest of their lives.

Heero broke the kiss with a soft peck to Duo's nose than began to lever himself off of his smaller lover. "Come on. We have to get you back to the castle before the sun rises. The sky is getting lighter by the second."

"No!" Duo whined petulantly as he quickly wrapped his legs around Heero's waist again and gave a precautionary squeeze of his inner muscles. "Not yet. Please? Just a few more minutes."

Heero fought between gasping in pleasure and chuckling at how much like a spoiled child his lover sounded. He could feel himself beginning to harden in Duo's passage and decided that if they were to ever get his lover back to the castle on time then they would have to stop, or he would just keep them both in the forest all day and all the next night.

"I don't want to let you go either, but you have to go back. I don't want you to get punished just because we couldn't rein in our hormones." Heero struggled to detach Duo's legs but suddenly the boy was showing strength that Heero didn't realize he had.

"Oh but it would be so worth it." Duo knew that even if his uncle caught him in an orgy with the whole of the castle guard he wouldn't punish him. As the crowned prince he was practically untouchable. Not that he escaped other forms of punishment and he didn't abuse his power. It just wasn't his style. But Heero didn't know that and Duo preferred to keep that little fact just as it was, a secret.

"No it wouldn't, not if I was responsible." Heero quit struggling with his legs and collapsed against Duo's chest in frustration. "Duo, I don't know if I could stand it knowing that I was the cause of any kind of punishment you would have to endure. Please don't make me."

Duo couldn't stand hearing that heartbreaking tone in Heero's voice so he reluctantly unlatched his legs and let Heero slide up and out of him.

A small gasp escaped his lips as Heero's half hard erection caressed his passage as it withdrew. The feeling of Heero's hot seed seeping out of his passage to slide down the cleft of his butt was strangely erotic. He could definitely get used to both sensations.

Sitting up Duo looked around for his boots and clothes, the search was difficult in the false dawn light and it took quite a bit of time, as it did for Heero. By the time he got his clothes gathered his seed on his stomach was almost dry and Heero's seed in his body had dripped half way down his thighs.

He was becoming aroused just feeling and thinking about, but what almost made him regret letting Heero get off of him not moments earlier was the look of pure hunger the other man guided his way.

"Duo." Heero's voice was strained and he was having difficulty breathing. The sight of Duo in the early gray light, his seed dripping from between his legs was intoxicating, erotic, and completely melting his brain.

Duo suppressed the urge to leer right back at Heero but instead moved to his satchel and rifled through it until he came up with a folded up scrap of linen he had found in the tailor's rooms during his last clothes fitting. Unfolding it he quickly wiped down his belly removing the remnants of his orgasm but when he moved to clean away the remnants of Heero's a hand caught his wrist and stilled his movement.

"May I…?" Heero's blood was heating up but he was completely under Duo's unknowing spell.

Duo nodded and swallowed, then whimpered and shivered as Heero knelt down and ran the soft cloth along the inside of his thigh all the way up to slowly circle around his opening then move to the other leg, repeating the action.

Duo let his head fall back when Heero brushed his lips gently against the sensitive skin just bellow his navel. "You are going to drive me insane."

"Mm." Duo smiled, eyes still closed in pleasure. "Then perhaps we can be insane together."

Heero stood up and placed a kiss to Duo's chin than lifted his head back up and engaged him in a soft slow kiss before whispering, "Get dressed before I forget my good intentions and keep you to my self for the rest of our days."

Duo almost wished he would, but did as he was told and put his scrap of cloth and his ointment back into his satchel before donning his boots, twining his fingers with Heero's and setting off toward the castle.

* * *

Heero watched as Duo struggled to get up the wall, and cursed himself for not being gentler during their love making but still not able to bring him self to regret it.

He smiled to himself and to Duo when the young man finally made it to the top of the wall and turned around to blow him a kiss on the early morning breeze. Once he got this job over with he would take Duo away and they could buy a plot of land on the outskirts of Peacemillion or anywhere else Duo wanted to go and live there, work the land and be happy together.

Heero smiled again as he slipped back into the forest. After this job was over with, all would be right in the world.

Duo gasped as a sudden shock of pain lanced through his lower body when he landed on the other side of the wall. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed Heero's to be so rough but Damn! was it good.

He wasn't regretting anything, except perhaps not being able to continue when both their bodies were begging them to.

Chuckling to him self as he walked gingerly toward the fountain a thought suddenly struck him. He had just lost his virginity and his heart to a man he had known for barely two days and he wasn't at all upset with his course in life. That put both a spring in his step and a lump in his stomach.

What was he going to do?

He knew he was going to be spending the rest of his life with Heero but how would he ever tell him that he was crowned prince of a tyrannical kingdom with a blood lust for hand and a gluttonous appetite for power? How was he going to tell him that he had been lying to him? Would Heero forgive him? Move into the castle with him when he turned eighteen and was crowned king after beheading his usurper of an uncle? Did he, perhaps, have other plans? A home far away somewhere?

Duo knew he couldn't possibly leave his people just to be with Heero. His heart ached at the thought, but it ached even more when the faces of his homeless gang danced in his vision and the cries of the hungry children echoed in his ears.

No, he couldn't leave his kingdom; give up his rule and his chance to help his people, just to follow his selfish desires. Perhaps Heero could commute to the castle? Spend half his time with Duo and half at his home taking care of his duties there.

Then there was always the traveling around his kingdom Duo had planned on doing. He and Heero could travel together if Heero had wanderlust, which, Duo realized, was very likely considering he was a traveler. It would satisfy Duo's need to reach out to his people and Heero's incessant need to be on the move, if he had such a need, at least until they had to return to the castle.

Sighing in frustration and slumping spirits, Duo gingerly hoisted himself up the fountain, wincing and grimacing with every cherub he traversed. Never before had he felt such a burning in his butt, though, he had to admit at least to himself, it was definitely worth it. He would suffer through a thousand sore and stiff journeys up the wall, across the gardens, up the fountains, and up to his balcony if it meant making love with Heero every night.

Finally reaching the top of the fountain and scampering over to the second floor roof, Duo decided that maybe he was exaggerating. Perhaps he would simply endure this every time he made love with Heero. Yeah, that he could handle.

Ten minutes later found Duo hissing in pain as he lifted his second leg over the railing to safely land on his balcony. Maybe he should sit down.

"Duo?" Quatre's tired voice broke through Duo's contemplating of his aches and pains. "What are you doing back so late? I thought you said you would be earlier this time?" Quatre didn't sound mad, simply tired and resigned to his fate as the worrying mother hen.

"Uh yeah. Sorry about that Quat." Duo straightened up and grinned widely at his gloomy friend. "Me and Heero got a little sidetracked in the forest." Of course he didn't realize just how true those words rang until they were out of his mouth. He barreled on praying that Quatre was too sleep deprived to have noticed his slip up.

"Well, you know, you never know when you might stumble upon one of those really cool mushroom rings. You know the ones with the fairies." Duo was babbling and he knew it.

Quatre just nodded and rubbed a hand over his face then stopped suddenly and peered at his prince from between his fingers. "There's something different about you."

Duo shut his mouth and held perfectly still. At least when he wasn't moving his butt didn't ache as much. "Really?" Play dumb and the bear will just sniff you and move on. Unluckily for Duo the bear was Quatre and he never just sniffed and moved on his merry way.

"Yeah." Quatre frowned in confusion. His brain was catching up to his body and was finally waking up. "You're kind of…glowing."

"I-" Duo squeaked, cleared his throat and tried again. "I am?"

"Mm." Quatre scratched at his head. Then stepped closer and plucked a twig and a couple of leaves out of Duo's disheveled braid. "Egh! You have dirt and leaves everywhere, too."

"Well! Heh…heh… Would you look at that?" It's ok, Duo. Just breathe slow breaths and don't make any sudden movements.

"And you know," Quatre stepped closer almost into Duo's personal space and sniffed delicately at the air. "You smell all sweaty and musky, almost like you've been…"

Quatre's eyes grew wide, his mouth fell open, and he began pointed frantically at a blushing Duo, all the while seemingly trying to suck the world's supply of oxygen into his tiny little lungs.

Duo smiled innocently at his squire. "Like I've been what, Quatre?"

"David James Maxwell! You've had sex!"

"Jeezus!" Duo leapt forward and clasped a hand around his friend's gaping mouth. "Could you say that any louder?!"

Quatre pried frantically at Duo's hand over his mouth while the prince dragged him into his rooms, closing and locking the balcony doors behind him.

Finally Quatre was able to escape his friend's death hold and scowled accusingly at him. "You and Heero got sidetracked? Fairy mushroom circles? David! What were you two doing?! Fucking like bunnies?!"

"Hey!" Duo shouted suddenly just as angry, if not angrier than his best friend in the world. "Don't you dare belittle what we did, Quatre Raberba Winner!"

Quatre was stunned silent as his friend's face grew bright red in embarrassment and anger. "We made love, Quatre. We did not _fuck_! We made the earth move and angels weep, Quatre, so don't you ever belittle what we did like that again."

Suddenly the color drained out Duo's face and he sank down to the floor, tears pouring down his cheeks. "I love him Quatre. We're in love, ok? So don't-don't-…" his words degenerated into a volley of hiccups and sobs.

Collapsing to the ground with his friend, Quatre wrapped his arms around his best friend and prince holding him close to his chest. "Shh. I know. I'm sorry I said that. I just…" he sighed and dropped his chin to the top of Duo's disheveled head. "I'm just worried about you, you idiot."

Duo chuckled and wrapped his arms around Quatre in return savoring the comfort in his best friend's embrace. "I'm sorry I make you worry. But I can't help it. You know how it is. Being trapped in this God forsaken castle with the antichrist, my uncle." He hiccupped a couple more times then drew in a ragged breath. "I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did."

Quatre settled them both into a more comfortable position, not really caring that his night shirt was getting soaked in tears and snot.

"One second he's being kicked into the clearing the next we're professing our love and we're so wrapped up in each other I couldn't tell you where I ended and he began if my life depending on it." He shifted himself and settled between Quatre's legs soaking up his warmth and support.

"What is it about him, Duo that makes you this crazy for him?" Quatre set himself to the task of discretely picking debris out of Duo's tattered braid.

"I don't honestly know." Duo closed his eyes and the image of Heero's passion and ecstasy filled smiling face hanging above him, the stars in the background and his sweat damp bangs framing his deep blue eyes appeared behind his eyes lids. He shivered. "He just makes me feel free; like I'm not trapped in the walls of the castle or in my obligations as the future king of this shit hole."

Quatre felt him shiver and blushed as the realization of what Duo's vision must have been about dawned on him. He kept his arms wrapped around his prince though, still offering comfort and support. "Is he really worth all the pain this will cause you if it doesn't end up how you want it to?"

That question didn't even justify an answer, but Duo answered it anyway knowing that Quatre needed to be just as sure about this as he was. "Worth every shard of my heart."

"I sure hope so, for your sake Duo." Quatre wiped Duo's tear stained cheeks and smiled for him. "So tell me, is he good in the uh… forest?"

Duo broke into a fit of laughter and soon was reduced to gasps for breath and whimpers of pain between giggles.

"Oh Duo! Did he hurt you?" Quatre grasped Duo's arms and hauled him up off the floor and helped him limp to the bed.

"Nah. Not on purpose." Duo grimaced as he sat down. "Tell you the truth, it was probably my fault."

He chuckled a little at Quatre's disapproving and unbelieving scowl. "No really." He smiled. "I kind of… egged him on a little." Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Ok a lot. But by God it was worth it."

They both blushed and giggled. "So he's the owner of your heart and the master of your body now?"

Duo smirked mischievously. "Oh he's certainly the master, but then again I'm a veritable sex kitten."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Quatre smirked to himself as he rummaged through Duo's ever present satchel. "Um…" He held up the now stiff scrap of linen, between his fingers with a wrinkle of his nose. "Do I want to know?"

Duo blushed from the tip of his toes to the end of his braid. "Quat, you can just throw that away."

"I was planning on it." he threw the sullied piece of cloth toward the fire place and continued his search. "Aha!"

He popped open the tin of ointment, frowned at it, blushed then looked back at Duo. "At least I know you two used some sort of lubrication."

"Well, I wasn't very well planning on losing my virginity tonight, Quat, or I would have been more prepared." Duo scowled at his friend. He didn't think he could get any redder than he was at that moment.

"Alright, alright. Take off your pants and turn over." Then again this was Quatre and Duo never knew when he was going to throw a fast ball at him.

"What?!" Duo squawked.

"You heard me David. I need to make sure you didn't tear anything then apply more ointment to help with the soreness." Quatre gave a sigh of long suffering.

"No way man!" Duo was very tender and he didn't want any body, much less Quatre poking around down there.

"Oh come on, this is no time to get modest, Duo. I've changed your diapers. So don't give me any of that crap." Quatre advanced on him.

"No you haven't asshole! You're younger than I am!" Duo retreated till his back hit the head board.

"I know." Chirped Quatre happily. "I just wanted to see if you would catch it. You know, sometimes I feel like I've been changing your diapers."

Duo sighed in resignation and began to unbutton his pants. He knew Quatre wasn't going to quit until he was satisfied. Besides, he knew the ointment would ease his aching. "Fine. You get your way."

"Strangely enough I rarely do."

Quatre waited until Duo was lying comfortably on his stomach before beginning his examination. He noticed a small amount of seed still dripping from Duo's passage, but chose to ignore it, though it felt as though the temperature rose a good ten degrees.

Gently he probed into Duo's passage; conscious of Duo's stiffening body as he must be making his already aching muscles sorer. Once he was satisfied that there was no tearing he scooped up some ointment and applied it the sore places Duo indicated.

Duo's sigh of relief told him his job was done. "Alright. You shouldn't be feeling any more soreness after that."

"Thanks Quat." Duo sat up and headed toward his wardrobe to pull out his night shirt. As he got dressed and Quatre tidied up the room and closed the drapes, he thought about the difference between Heero touching him there and Quatre.

Heero had sent spasms of pleasure through his body. Quatre just made him feel a little bit uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Pulling his night shirt over his head Duo decided that he liked that. He didn't really want anyone else to touch his body unless unavoidable. It warmed his heart to think that even his body reacted to the closeness he felt in his heart and in his mind.

Climbing into bed Duo fluffed up his pillow and thanked God that no one was allowed to disturb the prince until he was out of his rooms. He planned on sleeping all day.

The bed dipped as Quatre curled up on the other side of bed and made him self comfortable. "Good night, David."

Duo's tired mind chuckled. Quatre never had a pattern as to when he would use his given name or his street name; you could only count on him using his given name when he was flaming pissed.

"'Night Quat." Duo mumbled the night's events finally catching up to him.

"David." Duo hummed in acknowledgment. "I'm really happy that you found someone to make you so happy."

Duo popped his eyes open and reached an arm out to pull Quatre toward him. They cuddled together like they used to do as children. "Me too, Quat. Thank you."

Both young men drifted off to sleep, dreaming of their special some ones.

* * *

TBC…


	4. The Spider and The Fly

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

**Graphic Lemon! Graphic Lemon!**

Chapter 04: "Will you walk into my parlor?" Said the Spider to the Fly

* * *

Duo chuckled insanely as he struggled to get the picnic basket over the edge to sit on the top of the wall two and a half weeks later.

Surprisingly enough the light of day made the climb up the castle wall ten times easier. He hoisted himself up to the top of the wall then turned and waved happily at a frustrated Quatre and an amused Trowa at the bottom of the wall.

"Bye guys! Thanks!" And he turned around to begin making his way down the other side.

"He is officially crazy." Quatre muttered frown firmly plastered to his face.

"Crazy in love you mean." Trowa smirked and took one last look up at his cousin before grabbing his lover and dragging him to the laundry rooms.

Duo turned around and looked back and forth before he spotted Heero just coming out of the tree line a few yards away. Sticking two of his fingers in his mouth he let loose a shrill whistle making Heero duck and cover his ears before he turned in the direction of the noise and jogged up to the wall, glancing around for anyone who could see them.

"You are crazy, Duo!" Heero whispered harshly up at his maniacally grinning lover. "It's dangerous in the middle of the damned day!"

Duo shook his head still grinning from ear to ear. "I got a couple of my friends covering for me, so hurry up and catch!" Without warning he chucked the picnic basket over the edge.

"Fuck!" Heero lunged and just barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground and scattered the food every which way.

"Good catch, love!" Duo scooted to the edge of the wall still grinning and pushed himself off. "Now catch me!"

"Christ!" Heero dropped the basket and gave a great lunged landing on his back with a still grinning Duo straddling his lap. "Baby, you have got to stop falling on me!"

Duo cocked his head to the side and looked very much like a curious puppy. "I suppose you're right. Beside's," he smirked, "I'd much rather be falling for you."

Heero smiled and planted a firm kiss on Duo's still smiling lips. "I thought you already did that."

"Mm." Duo threaded his fingers through Heero's hair and deepened the kiss before pulling away and grinning. "I can never fall for you too many times, lover."

A deep primitive growl rumbled in Heero's chest. He loved it when Duo's voice went silky and sultry like that. "Let's get the hell out of here and go have a picnic."

"That was the general idea, wasn't it?" Duo laughed as he got to his feet hauling Heero and the picnic basket after him as he darted for the forest and his favorite picnic spot in the whole of Peacemillion.

* * *

Dekim growled as he stared out of the window of his study. It was a perfectly beautiful day outside and he was in a terrible mood.

It had been close to a month since he had paid the assassin half of the fee for offing his nephew and they still weren't able to kill the little brat. The agent he worked through said this guy would do any one for the right price and Dekim had to be patient. He worked slowly, methodically; Dekim was on a time schedule God damn it!

It was just a week and a half till that son of bitch turned eighteen and would assume his rightful seat as the ruler of Sanq and Dekim had too much invested in this kingdom to watch it be handed off to a whiney snot nosed kid. He had never met a more ungrateful bastard in all his life. It's almost a shame he didn't inherit more of his father's humility; almost.

At least he got his mother's looks. If Dekim didn't hate the kid so much he would have taken him to his bed. Not that his mother didn't ring his bell, but one can only handle so much of that woman's self centered blabber. But back to the point of Dekim's irritation.

The agent Dekim was working through had just informed him that his assassin was requesting more time for intelligence gathering and mission planning.

For fuck's sake, it's not like Dekim couldn't just walk down there and tell him which room the brat slept in.

A though popped into his balding head.

That is precisely what he would do. He would request a meeting with the assassin himself. Give him the information he required to do the job and tell him it better be done by the end of the week. Yes the end of the week would go quite nicely.

But if that Winner boy was in David's room when the assassin infiltrated to poison him, what would he do? He couldn't leave a witness.

Ah. Another brilliant plan formed in his scheming head. Poison them both and make it look like a desperate lovers' suicide. It was perfect; tragic, just unexpected enough to be believable but not suspicious. Wait, hadn't he read about this particular situation somewhere before?

It didn't really matter. Dekim laughed to himself self as he turned away from the window and resumed studying his map with a new light in his eyes. Everything would work out in the end. Of that he was sure.

* * *

Duo fought to catch his breath as he collapsed on Heero's chest, the sun warming his back, Heero's penis still deep inside him. This was heaven. God, he wished he could just stay here on this hill above Peacemillion forever.

Heero began to comb his fingers through the massive amounts of Duo's hair spread around them. He never wanted to leave Duo's tight hot body, Duo's strong comforting arms, Duo's light lavender scent.

"Come on love." Heero chuckled as Duo began to nuzzle into his chest like a kitten. "I'm hungry, and at the rate we're going I'm never going to get to eat."

Huffing in mock annoyance, Duo propped himself up on his elbows and rolled his eyes at his lover. "Alright, fine." Then he grinned. "But I get to feed you, at least for a little bit."

Laughing but not about to protest Heero watched as his gorgeous lover levered himself into a sitting position, still managing to keep him inside, and reached behind him to secure his luxurious hair in a hasty braid.

Heero found he couldn't stop himself from running his hands up and down Duo's lean thighs and muscular stomach and ribs even for a second. "It should be a sin to be this gorgeous."

"It is." Duo stated, teasingly matter of fact. "Didn't anybody tell you? You're going straight to Hell, Mister."

"Me?" Heero asked curious with a slight chuckle as he moved his hands to brush over Duo's nipples sending a shiver down his lover's body as he reached over to drag the picnic basket closer.

"Yes you." Duo smirked as he placed all the items in the basket on the clear section of the picnic blanket, then leaned over and kissed Heero open mouthed, sucking on his lower lip before withdrawing and continuing on with his arranging. "You are gorgeous beyond possibility."

Heero arched as Duo squeezed his soft penis with his internal muscles. "Ngh… Duo! Please, love. I would like to eat before I pass out for lack of protein."

Duo just laughed a light airy laugh that drifted away on the breeze before plucking up a few grapes and feeding them to his lover one by one.

"Heero?" He asked as the last grape was sensuously sucked from his tingling fingers.

"Yes my love." Heero grinned as he tweaked his lover's nipples with the pads of his thumbs.

Duo sighed and closed his eyes in pleasure. "How old are you?"

The question surprised him enough that Heero halted in his ministrations to stare at his lover in amusement. "How old are you, Duo?"

Duo pouted and rocked ever so slightly, creating enough friction to send pin pricks of pleasure through both him and Heero. "Seventeen; eighteen in ten days." He gasped as Heero's penis started to swell at a rapid rate inside of him.

Heero returned to stroking over Duo's body, alternating between stroking his hardening erection and caressing his already hard and sensitize nipples. "I will be twenty-four early this summer."

Gasping as Heero's erection began to pulse inside of him, Duo raised himself up, withdrawing off of Heero only to thrust back down and moan as Heero's stiff head collided with his prostate. "I'm in love with an older man." Duo giggled at the absurdity of that statement.

Heero wrapped a hand around Duo's weeping erecting and began to pump it lightly. "And I a younger man by nearly five years." He couldn't help but thrust up into Duo's tight passage.

Groaning in abject pleasure Duo began to ride Heero in earnest and completely lost all thread of conversation.

It was some time later. Both lovers were still naked as the day they were born but they had separated themselves reluctantly to attempt to eat their meal in a timely fashion.

Duo laid on his stomach propped up on his elbows, feet swinging lazily in the air. He was watching a pair of butterflies dancing on the breeze together while he sipped from a skin of ale and munched on bits of crackers and cheese.

Heero was enjoying soaking up the sun, like he used to do in his home land, reclining back on his hands occasionally lifting one to stroke it tenderly down Duo's spine and over his bottom than back up again.

"You know, Duo, I've been thinking." Heero turned to look at his dreamy lover.

"Hmm?" Duo swung his legs and flexed them to capture Heero's hand between the sole of his feet and his butt affectively pressing Heero's fingers into his cleft.

Heero absent mindedly following his silent instructions stroked the sensitive skin there while he spoke. "When I'm done with this job, why don't I buy us a plot of land somewhere around Peacemillion? I don't think you would want to be far from your gang and this way we can build our life together while still helping them out."

Duo's feet stopped swinging through the air and he turned to regard his lover with a strange expression on his face. "You would do that? You would stop being a traveler and decide to live in this shit hole just to be with me?"

His heart ached when Duo mentioned him being a traveler. He wasn't just a traveler but he didn't want Duo to know that about him yet. Was he selfish to want to hide his bloodied hands from the most beautiful person he had ever known?

"I would do anything for you, Duo." Heero gave him a tender smile.

Duo returned it before his eyes dulled in a sudden sadness.

Startled by the change, Heero rolled onto his side and kissed Duo's pouty lips, cheek, neck and paved a trail down and then up Duo's spine before he propped his chin on Duo's shoulder and was satisfied that the sadness had receded. "Tell me what's wrong, Duo. Do you not want to stay near Peacemillion?"

"No." Duo shook his head. "It's nothing like that. It's just… I have something really important that I need to tell you, but I'm afraid you…," he swallowed and fought back tears, "afraid you won't love me anymore when I tell you."

Heero lifted a hand and wiped away the single escaped tear. "I could never stop loving you, Duo." Duo looked at him in sincere doubt. "Are you married?"

Duo glared at him, though his watery eyes lessened the affect. "Of course not."

"Are you really a woman?" That surprised a chuckle from Duo's tightening throat.

"No?" Heero smirked at him teasingly. "Then do you not love me anymore?"

"Oh God, no!" Duo cried and pushed Heero down onto his back and attacked his lips with ferocity, then laid his head over his heart and sighed deeply, listening to the comforting rhythm of Heero's heart beat. "Heero I couldn't stop loving you if I tried. You are so far under my skin, I itch." They both chuckled. "You are so much a part of me now that I can swear sometimes that I can feel you when you're not even near me." His breath hitched.

Heero wrapped his arms tightly around Duo and stroked his back comfortingly. "Duo, I can't imagine that you could tell me anything under this sun that would make me love you any less."

Duo closed his eyes and inhaled Heero's fresh earthy scent, then defying every ounce of a conscious he had he wrapped his arms tightly around Heero's chest and sighed. "Good, then let's not think about it any more. Let's just be me and you, alone on a hill, butt naked under the sun."

Humming in pleasure Heero tilted his head up and placed a tender kiss on the top of Duo's head. "That sounds good. Let's do that for fifty years."

Duo chuckled and let him self drift into sweet daydreams about an almost impossible future with the man that held his heart and soul.

* * *

It was almost sun down with Heero finally saw Duo shimmy his way over the castle wall and disappear to the other side.

His skin still felt warm from the sun, his belly full from the food, and his body sated from the hours of making love with Duo. That day was a dream come true. It was wholly perfect in almost every aspect, from the passionate joining of their bodies, to the painful ant bite he got on his left butt cheek. Duo had laughed himself into hiccups with that one.

Thinking back over the day and replaying his absolute favorite parts got him all the way till he had step through the door of the Inn.

Pulling the door open Heero immediately knew something was wrong. The Inns keeper caught his eye then nodded to two cloaked men in a corner table away from the rest of the patrons.

"Been waiting for you boy," was all he said before turning away altogether and continuing to wipe down the irreparably dirty beer mugs.

Heero studied the two cloaked men as he approached their table. The taller of the two looked up and Heero recognized him as the agent that brought him the job. His curiosity picked he pulled out a chair and sat in it, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling.

"I assume you came to see me for a reason other than to experience the exceptional service this place has to offer." He was not amused. They had put a blight on his otherwise perfect day. Unacceptable.

"Indeed we have Mister Yuy," said the agent. He never gave his name, only his services as a go between.

"It has come to my attention that the gentleman," he gestured to the man next to him, "is on a rather tight time schedule and wishes to expedite the proceedings of your employ."

Heero studied the other man. He was rather plump, his face impeccably clean, his clothes tailor made to fit perfectly, and his right hand carried the King's seal on his index finger.

"You want me to assassinate the crowned prince before his eighteenth birthday so that you can usurp the throne without competition." It wasn't hard to figure out once he knew who was actually paying for his skills. The fact that they had kept him in the dark this long wasn't impressive in the least. Had Heero really felt he needed to know who his mark was before the night of the assassination, he would have found out.

"Lower you voice, boy!" The acting king hissed as he pulled his hood further over his face.

"Do not snap at a man who could kill you in a moment with his pinky finger, if you wish to live." Heero said coolly as he studied his nails in the dim light of the Inn.

It would seem that the king wasn't as clever as he liked to play. "Are you threatening me, your King?"

"You are no king of mine. And yes I am." Heero smirked unkindly. "Do not bite the hand that feeds."

The king shrank back into his seat when he realized that his haughty act of superiority would not work on a trained killer without allegiances other than his own.

Heero deemed the king suitably cowed and turned back to the agent. There were middle men for a reason; so that the intelligent business men didn't have to deal with the idiotic ones. "When do I need to have him dead by?"

The agent responded without blinking an eyelash, "By the end of the week. Poison if possible, any other way if you have to. His rooms are on the third floor, four balconies away from the wall. He often shares his bed with his squire. If he is there kill him as well and make it look like a lovers' mutual suicide."

Heero felt a jolt run through his chest. Posing an assassination as a lovers' suicide just didn't sit well with him, but as long as he got paid and was able to buy that land at the edge of Peacemillion for Duo than he was going to do what he had to.

He nodded, "I'll have it done in two days time," and stood to leave.

The agent cleared his throat demanding his attention once again. "His majesty requests the signing of a contract, to ensure both parties' protection." He then produced to copies of the same contract, the royal seal stamped at the bottom.

Heero picked up a copy and read over it. It covered every base and was perfectly succinct. Taking the offered pen from the agent, he signed both copies on the x next to the royal stamp, pocketed one then straightened up and turned to leave.

His departure was stopped again by the self serving words of his current employer. "You are doing a service to your kingdom, boy. You have the thanks of a king."

Looking over his shoulder, Heero stated in a flat monotone voice, "This is not my kingdom, you are no king, and I do this for no one else but me and mine." And with that he left the king seething in his seat and the agent hiding a smirk behind his mug of ale.

* * *

Duo landed gracefully on the grass on the other side of wall with a smirk on his face and the empty picnic basket in his hand.

"Where exactly have you been?" Duo stopped dead and glanced to his right.

Identifying the speaker, Duo grinned nervously and kicked out a leg in front of him. "Um… stretching my legs?"

"Over the castle wall?" Wufei was not amused. He was the prince's body guard after all. How was he supposed to protect him if he didn't know where he was at all times? Not that he ever knew where the stubborn prince was, but it was the principle of the thing.

"Yeah!" Duo chirped trying for complete innocents as if he'd done nothing wrong. "Me and Heero just wanted to have a picnic no big deal, you know."

The vein in Wufei's forehead suddenly began to throb. "And just who is Heero?"

Duo could have smacked himself in the face for being so stupid. There had been a specific reason why he had kept Heero a secret from Wufei and Duo had just blown it wide open. "Shit."

Close to an hour and a half later Wufei was still ranting about Duo's blatant disregard for his own safety.

"You go traipsing off in the middle of the day no less with some- some- TRAMP without even thinking to take a guard with you!"

Duo can handle the yelling and the ranting and the lecturing but he would not tolerate Wufei abusing Heero without even meeting him. "Hey! Chang! I don't want you ever talking about Heero that way! You got that, sword boy?"

Wufei's jaw wagged up and down without a sound. He had never been yelled at by Duo before and that plain fury in his charge's eyes was startling.

"Heero means the world to me, and if you ever speak about him that way again I will castrate you with your own foot." Ok so maybe he was being a little dramatic, but he had just had the most wonderful day and Wufei just had to go and mark it up with little insults. Oh! It just made him so mad.

Wufei closed his mouth and swallowed. "Maxwell, I apologize for losing my temper and unjustly venting my frustration out on someone who did not deserve it, but you can not simply sneak out of the castle whenever you want anymore."

Duo deflated in the face of Wufei's once again seamless calm. "I know Fei, but I just really wanted to have a special day with Heero. Normally I would wait to sneak out until after dark, but today was such a beautiful day! I only wanted to have a naked picnic with my Heero!"

Oops, perhaps just a little bit too much information for poor Wuffers.

Wufei fought to control his blush, cleared his throat and decided that since they were both being somewhat reasonable at the moment he might as well try and figure out what the hell had been going on right under his nose.

"So, I take it that this Heero fellow is someone you hold very close to your heart." Wufei took the empty seat next to Duo on the rot iron bench in front of the Cherub fountain.

"Yeah," Duo smiled dreamily. "I love him with all my heart."

Wufei had always been a softy for Duo's charming smiles and sighed. He was won over before the convincing had even begun. "And am I to understand that you are having… relations with him."

Duo chuckled at how uncomfortable Wufei was at that moment. "Yes, Wufei. We've been having 'relations' almost since the first time we met."

The pink on the swords man's cheeks deepened a little but not much. "You tell me that you love him, Maxwell, but does he return your affections?"

It was then that Wufei saw something he had never seen before in his life. Duo smiled a dreamy little smile that lit of his whole being; his very skin seemed to shimmer in beauty. "Yeah, Heero loves me. He loves me just as much as I love him."

Sighing in relief Wufei slumped against the back of the bench. "Good. I don't have to kill him then."

Wufei's joke shocked Duo temporarily speechless. Once Wufei gave him a teasing smile, the prince threw his head back and laughed out loud. "Oh my God! Wufei made a funny!"

"I'll have you know, Maxwell, that I have a very dry and sardonic sense of humor. Or so I'm told."

"By who?" Duo chuckled as he calmed down. "Your mother?"

"Now that was uncalled for." Wufei frowned mockingly at him.

Duo grinned. It was easy to forget how much he liked talking to Wufei, especially when the poor man was being such a hard ass. Once he loosened up he was very understand if you had a problem and often times had helpful advice to dispense.

"Hey, Wufei?" Duo shifted nervously on the bench.

"Hey, Maxwell?" Duo chuckled at Wufei's parroting attempt.

"Heero, he doesn't know that I'm the crowned prince. He thinks I work in the kitchens." Duo snuck a peak at his body guard's face and cringed when he saw the disapproving look.

"Maxwell, how can you say that you love this man with all your being and not tell him perhaps the most important fact about your life?" It was a simple yet very complicated question and Wufei was interested in what answer his charge would come up with.

"I tried to tell him today, while we were picnicking, but I just couldn't do it!" He put his head in his hands and gripped at his hair in frustration. "He started talking about this job he has to do and how when he's done he'll be able to buy us our own land to work and live on and it was such a beautiful dream that I just couldn't risk telling him and having him hate me."

"Maxwell, if this Heero loves you as much as you believe he does then he wouldn't stop loving you just because he finds out you're the heir to a veritable empire." Wufei was having a hard time struggling with this concept of such insecurity.

"It's not just that." Duo conceded. "I know he'll still love me even if I change into a woman when I'm dunked in cold water." Wufei felt like he should know why that particular example rang a bell but he shrugged it off. "It's the fact that I lied to him about it."

Wufei nodded his head. "There is quite the possibility that he will be upset with you about lying to him, but I highly doubt that a man worthy of your total and unconditional love would be upset enough to stop loving you."

Duo thought about Heero, his beautiful smile, beautiful eyes, beautiful soul. "Yeah, I think you're right, Wuffers."

Wufei sighed, but ignored the annoying nickname. "I suggest that you tell him as soon as possible."

Nodding Duo sat up straight, a purpose in his life and a path to follow. He was ready to face Heero and tell him he was the heir to the largest kingdom on this side of the earth. He deflated almost immediately.

Ok so maybe he still needed a little time to work up to that. But he knew he had to tell him before his birthday and the soonest he was going to be able to see Heero would be the next night. That's when he was going to do it and there were no more excuses he could come up with to stop him.

Leaning over quickly Duo grabbed Wufei in a tight hug and yanked on his tight pony tail. "Thanks for listening, Wufei. I really appreciate you being so understanding about this."

Wufei patted Duo on the head awkwardly. "It's quite alright. That's what friends are for."

Duo smiled at him as he pulled away, picked up the picnic basket and headed back toward his rooms leaving Wufei on the bench with a bitter sweet smile on his face.

"One day you're teaching them how keep from chopping their own noses off with a sword and the next they're all grown up." Wufei whimpered a little and dabbed at his eyes.

* * *

Duo paced nervously as he waited for Heero to appear. He had never been so nervous in his entire life. The butterflies were practically choking him.

He had asked Solo to fetch Heero from the Inn and bring him to the forest so that they would have some privacy when he dropped the bomb. It was a good idea, but the wait and the build up of anticipation was agonizing.

He had spent the last hour with Quatre discussing how he should approach the subject and both young men agreed that the best way to break bad or good news, depending on the out come, was to just blurt it out in the most succinct and organized way possible.

In this situation it would sound something like, "Heero, I'm the heir to the throne of the most power kingdom on this hemisphere." Ok maybe not being so blunt was a good idea too, but Duo just couldn't quite stop the rise of bile in his throat ever time he tried to practice so he decided to just wing it.

Heero was happy but confused when Solo had showed up at the Inn explaining that Duo wanted to see him. They had planned to meet in another couple of days and by then the assassination would be over and they could begin to plan their lives together. Duo's sudden need to see him and the fact that he didn't come to him himself was puzzling.

It was worrying as well, but Heero refused to think on that. He refused to think that maybe Duo was rethinking everything. Rethinking their love, rethinking leaving the castle to spend the rest of his life with him on a sizable farm with a good head of cattle and a cozy farm house.

God! Heero placed a hand over his mouth; he could almost feel the bile rising up his throat at that thought. Now that he had him, he couldn't possible imagine life without Duo. It was sickening and empty.

Solo stopped a yard ahead of him and turned to face the pale and slightly sweating man. He didn't know what the deal was, but he sincerely hoped neither man hurt the other. Heero was good for Duo and he could guess that Duo was exceptionally good for Heero.

"This is where I leave you." He puffed on his pipe and pulled it from his mouth to exhale the smoke. "Keep walking straight and you'll run right into him."

Heero nodded and felt Solo pat his shoulder as he passed him.

Duo looked up as he heard the leaves crunch under feet. A shaky smile rose to his lips and the butterflies couldn't decide if they wanted to fly out of his mouth all together or settle down and behave.

"Hey." His voice sounded quiet even to his own ears.

"Hey." Heero didn't know why he was so nervous. This was the man he loved with all his heart and soul.

Taking quick steps he wrapped his arms tightly around Duo and pressed their lips together desperately. Duo responded with every fiber of his being and their tongues twisted almost violently together.

Gasping for breath as they separated Heero buried his face in Duo's shoulder and inhaled the scent of lavender. "I missed you."

"Mm." The butterflies had quieted and Duo was enjoying the warmth radiating off of his lover. "Me too." He refused to think that this could possibly be the last time Heero would willingly hold him in his arms.

"What did you want to see me about?" Heero smirked against Duo's creamy neck. "Or did you just miss me that much."

Duo shut his eyes in nervousness before opening them and pulling gently away from Heero. "I have to tell you something, love."

Heero stroked his hands up and down Duo's back trying to sooth away his own nervousness. "Actually I have something to tell you as well."

"You do?" Duo tilted his head in surprise then gave him a small smile. "What do you want to tell me?" He saw an opportunity to delay the inevitable he was going to grab onto it with both hands.

Heero glanced down at the ground. "I wasn't quite as truthful with you as I should have been." He was determined not to look at Duo as he told him this. Seeing his disgust and fear was going to rip him apart. "I'm not really a traveler. Well, I mean, I do travel for my job, but I'm not a true traveler."

Duo smirked in amusement. "Is that all? Heero, that's not-"

"No." Heero interrupted him. "That's not all." He took a deep breath and decided to be a man and face whatever the consequences were head on. Raising his head he looked Duo in the eyes, his beautiful deep violet eyes. "I'm not just a traveler. I'm an assassin."

Heero watched as the color slowly drained out of Duo's face and he grew ridged in his arms. He barreled on, determined to get everything out as quickly as possible so that he could work as hard as he needed to keep Duo as his own.

"I was approached by an assassination agent about two months ago with a job offer. I was to travel to Peacemillion, infiltrate the castle and assassinate a member of the royal family." Feeling Duo slowly trying to pull away from him, he clutched at his shirt desperately and began to feel well and true panic.

"No! Duo, wait!" He pleaded. "Before I even met you I had decided that this was probably going to be my last job. I'm getting paid a ridiculous amount of money, even for an assassination, to do this and when the job is over I'll have enough money saved up to buy us that plot of land on the edge of Peacemillion."

Heero could almost feel tears pricking at his eyes as Duo successfully pulled away from his embrace and stared at him with wide almost unseeing eyes. "Duo please." He didn't know what he was pleading for, but he would keep doing it if it kept in him one piece.

Duo had a million things running through his head. Heero was an assassin paid to kill someone in the royal family of Sanq. Generally speaking he was a cold blooded killer and Duo just couldn't wrap his mind around that.

The man that had held him so tenderly and loved him so thoroughly was there to murder someone.

Then it hit him. He felt his chest freeze in ice and his heart crack down the center as an almost unthinkable thought flitted through his mind.

Pressing a clammy shaking hand to his chest, Duo asked in a raw chocked voice, "Who?"

Heero jolted out of his pain and looked back up at his shocked lover. "What?" His mind couldn't comprehend the words coming out of his lover's mouth.

"Who?" Duo asked again, the word felt like thorns in his mouth. "Who are you going to assassinate?"

Heero lowered his head again unable to face his lover in his pain. "The crowned prince of Sanq."

Duo felt like the air had rushed out of his chest. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, he couldn't even feel his body. His vision narrowed down to a point.

Everything was quiet.

Suddenly Duo felt air being sucked back into his lungs and he nearly staggered as pain washed through his soul. "I- I can't-"

Heero's head shot up when he heard Duo gasping for breath and became more frightened than he had ever been in his entire life. Duo's face was ghostly pale, his body shaking uncontrollably, his eyes wide showing the whites around his contracted irises. "Duo?!" He began to rush forward and scoop him up in his arms, but Duo almost fell trying to dodge his out stretched hands.

That hurt even more than his lover's initial reaction. Duo didn't even want his touch.

Duo looked at the ground, the sky, the trees, everywhere but at Heero. He just couldn't. "I'm-" He chocked. "I'm sorry." He pushed passed Heero and broke into a frantic run. He had to get away and think, had to deal with this revelation alone; without Heero.

Heero watched as his lover, his heart and soul ran away from him. He didn't follow, didn't think Duo would want him to follow.

Falling to his knees Heero clutched at his chest as he felt his heart crack down the center in his chest. He sobbed almost uncontrollably, his tears falling unchecked to the forest floor.

* * *

Duo didn't know how he made it back to his rooms, how he climbed the wall, the fountain, his balcony, but when he finally became aware of his surrounding he was wrapped tight in Quatre's arms wailing like an ocean storm.

Quatre didn't know what to do. Duo was unresponsive. He wouldn't answer his questions, he wouldn't talk about what happened, he just cried and cried, no words, just tears.

"Duo." After ten minutes of it, Quatre had begun to cry as well. "Please stop!" He begged his friend. "Please stop crying. Tell me what happened."

Duo suddenly felt how his own body was shaking against Quatre's, heard his cries, and understood Quatre's begging.

He made a conscious effort to loosen his tightly wound muscles and calm his breaths. He was near hyperventilation and it took some effort, but with Quatre stroking his back to help calm him he managed to ease the aching in his lungs.

"I'm-" He gasped again and swallowed to wet his dry throat. "I'm alright."

"Oh God" Quatre sighed and tightened his hold on his still shaking friend. "I was so scared Duo! I didn't know what to do. You wouldn't talk, just cry."

Duo closed his eyes and buried his face into Quatre's damp shirt. "I'm sorry. So sorry."

"Shh. It's ok." Quatre wiped at his own tears. "Tell me what happened. Please."

Shaking his head Duo tightened his hold on Quatre not willing think about what had happened. "No. Just hold me for a while will you, Quat?"

Not willing to press the issue Quatre simple nodded. He maneuvered them till they were laying comfortably on the bed, legs tangled and arms wrapped tightly around each other. "Just sleep, Duo. We'll talk about it later."

Duo didn't respond, simply pressed his face more solidly into his friend's shoulder and allowed the rest of his tears to flow silently. He wasn't going to discuss what had happened in the forest with Quatre. He didn't even want to discuss it with himself. When he woke up… when he woke up he would think about it, he would deal with it. But for right now he wanted to feel his pain and cleanse it with his tears. Just about the only thing he could do.

* * *

"I just couldn't get him to stop crying! He wouldn't move, speak, or even breathe! Just cry." Quatre felt the tears streaming down his face as he leaned heavily into Trowa's side taking comfort in the older boy's embrace.

"I don't understand." Wufei protested. "How could someone reject him like that? He believed that this man's feelings for him were so very pure."

"Duo didn't talk about what happened, Wufei. We don't really know what happened back there." Trowa was just as disturbed by this turn of events as the other two were. "For all we know a lion could have jumped out of the bush and eaten him."

"That's highly unlikely." Quatre sniffled from behind Trowa's pristine white handkerchief.

Wufei stood up and passed back and forth across the floor of the laundry room. He just couldn't make sense of any of this. "But did Duo tell him?"

"I don't know!" Quatre exclaimed. "He wouldn't say a word. When he finally started to respond it was like he had just woken up from a bad dream. He wouldn't tell me anything!"

"Hush love." Trowa ran a comforting hand up and down Quatre's arm. "It's not your fault." He knew his lover and right at that moment he was blaming himself, logical or not.

"Trowa is right, Quatre. You couldn't have stopped any of this from happening." Wufei stated as he continued to pace. "We all know that even if you had forbid Duo to see him in the beginning he still would have snuck out and done as he pleased."

Quatre nodded at their reassurances and blew his nose rather loudly in Trowa's hanky. "I know it's just he was hurting so much. And he has never refused to tell me something." Quatre gestured frustrated with his hands. "He tells me everything!"

Wufei paused in his steps and stared at the floor in contemplation. "Something just isn't adding up. There must be something unexpected going on here."

"I agree." Trowa was schooled in military tactics. He was trained to pick apart situations, to see what actions created what reactions. Something about this whole ordeal just was not adding up. "We are missing a major piece to this puzzle."

"And we cannot proceed until we have uncovered it." Wufei nodded than resumed his seat on a barrel of laundry soap.

Quatre looked down at his hands, silently staring unseeingly. "It was like his whole world had been ripped out from under him. Like, he just couldn't deal with life at that moment." A shudder took his body and Trowa tightened his hold on his lover in comfort.

"We'll figure out how to help him, love. I promise." Trowa propped his head on top of Quatre's and closed his eyes.

Wufei sighed and leaned his chin on the heel of his hand. "But the problem is how we're going to do that." The small group drifted into silence, each thinking about their friend's predicament.

* * *

Duo sat in his study staring out the window, tear tracks still blaringly visible on his pale cheeks. His eyes burned and his throat was sore from near continuous sobbing the night before, but now he was silent.

There was a small ache in his chest near the vicinity of his heart, but it wasn't broken. No, Duo realized, his heart wasn't broken.

The night before Duo had felt betrayed, abandoned, hurt beyond repair. He felt as though his world had been ripped from him and he had no legs to stand on.

Now that his tears were all cried out, his legs had returned to him, and his mind could function in the light of day, he realized that none of this was true.

Heero hadn't betrayed him or hurt him on purpose. Heero was trying to be honest, and tell him the truth about whom and what he was.

Duo closed his eyes in the pain of remembering.

And he had run away; turned his back on the man that held his heart in his hands and run away.

That perhaps hurt more than the knowledge that Heero was being paid to murder him. Of course Heero didn't know that it was Duo that was really the crowned price of Sanq, but that revelation hurt none the less.

Duo pulled his braid over his shoulder and twisted its end around his fingers.

Heero was an assassin. That had been a terrible surprise to Duo. For some reason he couldn't reconcile the memories of his kind, gentle, passionate lover to the meaning of what an assassin was and what they did. But that wasn't really the problem, now was it?

The problem for Duo now, was how on this worldly planet was he going to ever repair the hurt he had done to Heero?

He had stood there, laid bare and vulnerable before him, and Duo had reacted with fear and flight. That was unacceptable.

Duo had run from him like you would from a vicious animal. Heero wasn't a vicious animal and Duo could feel the ache in his chest for the pain he had unnecessarily caused his beautiful lover.

Suddenly he realized that they were both hiding what they were for fear of the other's reaction.

Heero was hiding from the blood staining his hands and Duo his prisoner like life and heavy obligations. They were the same even in that and Duo couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit better with that realization.

But even as he discovered the points of error and the still ever pressing need to be truthful, Duo still had not solved his own problem. How was he going to atone for Heero's pain?

Smoothing a shaking hand over his aching chest, Duo knew what he must do. He must go to Heero and beg his forgiveness, plead with his lover to take him back and explain everything.

The butterflies took flight in his stomach once again, but he ignored them as he outlined the things that needed to be taken care of if he was going to make good on his promise to love and be with Heero for the rest of his life.

Documents needed to be drawn up, the advisors needed to be informed, and his uncle needed to be dealt with. Duo shivered.

He would have to deal with Dekim tomorrow. As for today he needed to get everything done and there was too much to be done in one day.

Seeing as Heero hadn't assassinated him yet, Duo knew he would still be at the Inn and resolved to have his business finished by the next night. Then he would sneak over the wall and go to his lover. Then he would make everything right.

* * *

By the time Heero had finally managed to pull himself together enough to stumble his way back to the Inn, the sun had been burning for half a day.

He was covered in mud and leaves from curling up on the forest floor. He couldn't remember falling to lay there and cry, but he woke up there and he didn't feel the need to question it.

The Inn keeper gave him a weary look. "Bath's free."

Heero didn't even acknowledge him just took to the stairs and stared straight ahead. He couldn't think and preferred not to when all he could do was watch Duo turn and run from him over and over again.

God! A spike of pain made his heart falter in its steady beating. He clutched at the railing on the stairs and gasped for breath. The pain was immense and he just couldn't deal with it.

Falling back on his old training, Heero became completely numb, like he used to do in his early years of killing for hire. It was a trick every assassin picked up and eventually didn't need anymore as the killing became almost second nature, but today and most likely for the rest of his cold hollow life, Heero would need that early training just to be able to continue on breathing.

No, he decided as he stripped while the tub filled with scalding hot water. He wouldn't think. He wouldn't feel anymore.

He knew he was just running away and hiding from his pain, but in his opinion it was preferable to the feeling of having your guts ripped from your body and your skin pealed from your bones.

He ceased to think as he worked automatically washing the sweat and mud from his skin, and rinsing the bits of leaves from his messy hair. Only when he climbed out of the dirtied bath water, dried himself and wrapped a linen towel around his waist did he even draw an uneven breath.

Pulling the stopper from the drain, Heero turned away from the tub and pushed the door open only to come face to face with the agent.

He growled deep in his throat. "Get out of my way."

The agent's forked ginger eyebrows raised in surprise. "I have been sent to ensure that you are prepared for the completion of your job."

Heero was jolted by the spike of pain that statement caused in his chest. Tightening his hands into fists so tight his nails drew blood, Heero fought to maintain his numbness. "I said the job would be completed."

"As I'm sure it will be." The agent nodded and folded his hands behind his back. "It would seem that my client is getting rather impatient, Mister Yuy."

"Your client should be dealing with his own problems, Agent." Heero wasn't in a very charitable mood surprisingly enough.

The agent let an amused smirk play at his aristocratic mouth. "If that were the case, Mister Yuy, you would be out of the job."

Heero scowled at the agent and pushed passed him continuing on bare feet to his room and getting increasingly more annoyed as the agent began to follow him down the hall. Turning on his heel when he reached his door he glared bloody murder at the other man. "Is there something else, Agent? Or do you enjoy imposing yourself upon your clients?"

The agent stopped short in his stride and bowed a head. "It was not my intention. I wished to simply inform you that immediately upon completion of the job you will receive the other half of the money owed for your services."

Heero's eyes melted with pain for a split second before they hardened once again and he pushed his door open and stepped inside, saying over his shoulder, "Thank you for that information, Agent" before nearly slamming the door in the other man's face.

The agent stood in the hall for a moment before mockingly bowing to the door and stating in a falsely polite tone, "It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mister Yuy. I hope to meet you again in the future," before turning abruptly and striding silently down the hall.

Inside the room Heero slide down the door to sit on the floor, unexplainably tired. He knew he should be standing, getting dressed, picking the poison from his collection and cleaning his backup weapons in preparation for his job that night. But he couldn't force himself to move from his slumped position on the cold wooden floor.

Perhaps just for a moment he would let himself hurt. Just for a moment. Then he would have to rebuild his walls and finish the job he started before he could disappear into the folds of the land like he always did, like he is cursed to always do.

* * *

TBC…


	5. Yet there is a method in't

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

Chapter 05: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't." – William Shakespeare, _Hamlet_

* * *

Dekim thrust almost violently into Gertrude Maxwell, queen of Sanq, egged on by her squeaks of pleasure and the clawing of her manicured nails. With a grunt he released and without any preamble rolled away to stretch out on half of the king's royal bed.

The frustrated whimpers of Gertrude next to him annoyed him even in his coming down for the height. "Dekim!" Gertrude protested.

"Deal with it your self, I'm finished." Dekim growled as he felt a headache coming on.

He thought he could wait another forty-eight hours for that bastard to be murdered, but he found the anticipation to be unbearable. So he sent the agent.

The agent had returned to him saying that the assassin was preparing to complete the job that night and to have the rest of his payment ready by the next morning. Dekim smirked at the thought of it.

The sudden continuous yelping of Gertrude next to him as she 'dealt' with it jolted him out of his pleasant thoughts. "Lay off already!"

Relaxing, Gertrude scowled at him. "Well aren't we in a bad mood." She threw the covers back with a dramatic scoff and climbed out of bed, donned her robe then slammed the door behind her on her way to her own rooms.

"Finally." Dekim grumbled under his breath. The thoughts of a very dead David and a very comfortable throne danced in his head as he rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head.

Oh, when they found him in the morning he would be suitably shocked, then appropriately grieved at the following funeral, but after that he would milk the people for every penny they had, take all the land from the surrounding kingdoms that he could. He was getting a chubby just thinking about it.

Smirking to himself he occupied his mind with the visions of David pale and cold, his own head adorned with the crown he wasn't allowed to wear, and the whole of the court kneeling at his feet.

Oh yes. This was going to be a good night. He could already tell.

* * *

Heero stood at the edge of the forest watching as the guards changed and settled trying with every ounce of his being not to think about the times he had watched Duo scamper across the clearing to climb the wall and disappear behind it.

He checked to make sure his daggers were in place and his completely black clothing blended into the pitch black night, before darting out of the tree line and scaling the wall in a matter of seconds.

Landing silently and gracefully on the other side he resisted the need curl in on himself and cry. His training was failing to block out the pain his flood of memories were causing him. Back at the Inn half way through is almost ritualistic preparation he discovered that there was no way he was going to be able to concentrate enough to wield a poison and leave no trace. He changed his plans accordingly and donned his favorite pair of twin daggers instead.

Managing to straighten himself from his crouch without his legs collapsing on him he crept silently toward the lowest corner of the roof and the only visible aid to help in his travels, the fountain.

His brow furrowed as the unexpected realization that he was now inside of Duo's home caused his heart to pound painfully in his chest before he push all thoughts like that away and concentrated on placing each foot above the other on the various places on the fountain. Once he managed to get to the top and scurry like a rat onto the second floor roof, Heero was doubting, for the first time in his life, his ability to complete a job.

Calmly moving over the roof and counting the balconies over head he refused to think anymore about Duo. He would kill the prince, collect his payment and disappear. Kill prince, collect payment, disappear.

He chanted it like a mantra as he climbed over the balcony railing, placed his booted feet silently on the stone flooring, and soundlessly opened the balcony doors. Stepping inside the rooms, Heero found the complete and utter darkness inside oppressive. He stopped his movements and listened carefully.

The sounds of a single person's steady breathing made his shoulders sag in relief. The less blood he spilt that night the better. He didn't think he could stomach killing two men. As it was, his heart was already aching and his arms shaking.

Reaching down and unsheathing his right dagger Heero began to ghost into the main bed chamber, his mind repeating his mantra just so that he could get through this.

He reached the edge of the bed and looked down. The occupant was bathed in darkness except for a single shaft of moon light that escaped the drapes made to block out any and all light, affectively obscuring any of the sleeping prince's features. All the better, Heero thought; he didn't want to have to know the face of his last kill, didn't want to add that face to his nightmares.

Expertly pinpointing the exact place where his victim's heart was, Heero raised his dagger and began to thrust it downward into the sleeping prince's chest.

Heero could hear his own heart pounding in his chest as the dagger neared the sprawled victim on the bed before him. He could hear the victim's steady breathing, swore he could hear the victim's heart beat.

It seemed to take hours, but the as the dagger came inches away from the prince's chest the sleeping man suddenly tilted his head to the side, that single shaft of moonlight illuminating his features, and murmured a single word.

"Heero."

Changing his angle of attack at the last second, Heero stopped the dagger from plunging into his lover's chest, but couldn't stop the blade from slicing open Duo's upper arm.

Duo shot up in bed with an agonized scream. His arm exploded in pain shocking his body into wakefulness. The sound of a metal object clattering to the floor and another agonized scream from someone else in the room caught his hazy attention as the events began to make sense.

Reaching over to clutch at his right arm and steam the flow of blood, Duo flexed his fingers to make sure everything was functional before swinging out of bed and turning the oil lamp on his night stand on full blast flooding the whole room in light.

Heero backed into the wall opposite the bed as the room was lit; his heart pounding, mind struggling to comprehend the events that had just unfolded.

Duo, his beautiful lover, was the crowned prince of Sanq. And, he stared at his blood splattered hands unseeingly, he had spilt his blood.

"No."

Duo turned his head gasping for breath as he fought with the pain thundering through his arm. It was like the most beautiful and the most wretched thing he had ever seen. Heero was just staring at his bloodied hands, shaking from head to foot. "Heero!"

Duo didn't care about his arm anymore. All he wanted to do was wrap his lover in his arms and kiss away that pained expression from his face. "Heero, love." He tried to get his attention as he got wobbly to his feet. "It's me, Duo."

The sound of his lover's strained voice snapped him out of his shock. His head shot up in the direction of that beloved voice, but the sight his eyes feel upon caused him to collapse to his knees as tears poured down his face. "Oh my God."

He was frightened. Duo had never seen his strong confident lover like this and it was frightening him. "Heero!" He tried to go to him but a sudden wave of dizziness glued his feet to floor.

Heero couldn't comprehend anything other than the fact that he had nearly succeeded in killing his lover, the man that held his heart and soul in his hands. "Duo, please forgive me! I- I didn't know!"

Duo tried to respond, tried to say there was nothing to forgive, tried to tell him how much he had hurt and yearned for him, how much he still loved him, but none of that came out. The sound of his door bursting open and angered voices reverberated in his head as his body finally realized the need for blood was priority and he collapsed. The last thing he saw before his world went completely black was Heero lunging forward to catch his body before it impacted with the stone floor.

* * *

Moments before…

Quatre was antsy. He had spent many nights away from his best friend but something about this night just didn't feel right. His neck itched and the place between his shoulder blades felt cold.

He was sitting at a table with Wufei and Trowa sipping ale from a mug while the other two men discussed various things about the war Trowa had just returned from.

Trowa glanced over at his frowning lover. "Quatre, why don't you just go up and join him?"

Shaking his head, Quatre replied, "He specifically ordered me not to sleep with him tonight. He said he wanted to be alone."

"Is that particularly wise?" Wufei hedged. "I mean, his ordeal, whatever it was, had affected him substantially. He should have all the support he can get at the moment."

"That's what I thought." Quatre said. "But when I went up to check on him and bring him his dinner he was sitting at his desk in his study and pouring over some kinds of documents."

He frowned again and sipped at his ale. "He seemed stressed and tired, but was nothing like he was last night. I don't really understand it."

"He could have solved the problem we have been contemplating." Trowa suggested. "He does have all of the information that we are lacking. Perhaps he was simply reacted to a shock and not a debilitating let down like we assumed."

Quatre was opening his mouth to respond when a blood curdling scream echoed from the floor above. "Duo!"

In a matter of seconds the three friends were rushing down the hall and up the stairs. Each one thinking that the journey was taking too long. Quatre ran ahead of the other two who were drawing their swords as they rushed up the stairs.

Finally making it to the top, Quatre turned to the right and pelted down toward his best friend's room.

Reaching the solid wooden door, he burst through it and was brought up short when he took in the scene before him.

Duo swayed on his feet, deathly pale, clutching to his bleeding right arm, his blood streaming down his skin to pool on the floor around him. Another man, just as pale, and kneeling on the floor in front of him was looking at Duo with mixture of pleading and love.

Trowa and Wufei rushed in after him just as Duo began to fall to the floor, his eyes rolling back into his head. The man kneeling before him shouted his name in fright before lunging forward and catching him in his arms.

Trowa reacted on instinct and pulled the suddenly hysterical man off of his cousin.

"No!" Heero frantically tried to fight off the green eyed man pulling him away from his Duo. "Duo needs help! I have to help him!"

"Quatre!" Trowa yelled shaking his lover from his shocked stupor. "Check Duo."

Wufei joined Trowa in trying to control the amazingly strong attacker as Quatre ran to his friend's side. "Sally, we have to get him to Sally!"

Glancing up as he applied pressure to Duo's wound he saw a frightened maid lingering in the door way. "You!" He shouted getting her attention. "Go and get Doctor Sally! Now!"

The maid squeaked and rushed away to do as she was ordered. Quatre looked up and took in the sight of the Duo's attacker crying and struggling to get to Duo. "Trowa! Take him to the dungeon and do not alert Dekim to the situation."

His tall lover nodded and both he and Wufei dragged a ferociously fighting Heero out of the room.

Quatre turned his attention back to his friend and continued to apply pressure. "Oh Duo! Hang in there."

* * *

Duo felt like he was being pulled up from the depths of the ocean. His whole body was stiff and his head was fuzzy. He tried to wipe his face with his right hand, pain shot through his arm and he gritted his teeth to keep from yelping.

"Easy there." A familiar voice said from his left. "I just got finished stitching you up. I don't want you popping them just yet."

"Sally?" Duo pried his eyes open and focused blurrily on the castle Doctor. "What happened?"

"It would seem," Sally replied, "that you had your first assassination attempt."

The memories rushed back to him and he bolted up and struggled to climb out of the infirmary bed.

Sally gasped and tried to push him back in bed, but didn't really have to since he groaned as a wave of dizziness hit him and he fell back onto it. "Just where do you think you are going?"

"Heero." Duo moaned trying to fight down the nausea. "I have to see Heero! Tell him I still love him." He tried to sit up again only slower this time and succeeded in it without the room spinning.

"You can't go anywhere." Sally exclaimed. "I just got finished treating you for a severe knife wound and blood loss. You have to stay right where you are."

"Sally." Duo growled as he pushed his protesting hands away and slowly got to his feet. "I have to see Heero. You are not going to stop me and you are going to tell me where he is."

As the stubborn woman she is she tilted her head in the air and refused. "I will do no such thing. You need your rest."

"I'm ordering you," Duo took a threatening step toward her, "as your king and you will obey."

The proud doctor swallowed and nodded roughly. "As you wish your majesty, but please at least wait to go down to the dungeon until Wufei or Trowa is here to take you."

Duo suddenly began to seethe. "Heero's in the dungeons?!"

"Yes. Where else would we put an assassin that made an attempt on your life?" Wufei appeared in the door way and stepped inside. "Thank you, Sally. You may go now."

The doctor nodded then made her exit leaving the two scowling men alone in the infirmary.

Duo glared at his friend. "Take me to Heero."

"No." Wufei crossed his arms over his chest ready for a fight.

"Wufei." Duo's voice was deep and angry. He was prepared to fight one of his best friend's to get to his lover. Heero needed him.

"He is an assassin-"

"I know that!" Duo shouted.

"-Who made an attempt on your life." Wufei finished with a huff.

"He didn't know!" Duo exclaimed in sudden despair startling his friend. "He didn't know. I never got a chance to tell him."

"Duo?" Wufei's arms fell to his sides and his brow creased in confusion and concern.

"I was about to tell him who I was, but after he told who he was and that he was contracted to kill the crowned prince of Sanq, I was so upset and shocked that I ran." He collapsed back onto the small bed and looked up at his friend as frustrated tears poured down his cheeks. "He didn't even know I was the prince until last night," his throat tightened, "until he tried to kill me."

"But Duo," Wufei exclaimed, "that's just it. He _tired_ to kill you."

"No." Duo shook his head in denial. "He tried to kill the prince of Sanq."

"You _are_ the prince of Sanq!" Wufei shouted in frustration."

"He didn't know that, Wufei!" Duo shook his head and almost whispered. "He couldn't have known that."

He inhaled a shuddering breath as he replayed his memories. "The look on his face, Wufei," his voice sounded pained, "he was in agony when he realized what he'd almost done," he glanced at his bandaged arm, "what he had done."

"How do you know Duo?" Wufei asked. He couldn't stand the look of agony of his young friend's face. "How do you know he wasn't planning all this from the beginning?"

"Because," Duo replied, "every memory I have of him is filled with his love, and I saw the pain on his face when I ran from him." He gave his friend a sad smile. "Please, Wufei. Take me to see him. He needs me."

Wufei studied Duo's face for what seemed like hours before nodding and reaching over to help him stand. "I will take you, Duo."

Duo let out a relieved laugh before levering himself up and beginning to walk out of the infirmary with Wufei's assistance. "Thank you Wufei. You won't regret this."

"I won't." He agreed, because he felt in his heart that he wouldn't.

* * *

Duo had a white knuckled grip in the stone wall as he and Wufei climbed down the spiraling stairs toward the dungeons. The smell of mildew and human excrement was nauseating and Duo had to fight not to throw up as the smell combined with his already light head and turned his stomach.

Wufei kept a close eye on his friend ready to catch him should he falter in his unsteady steps and fall. He was regretting not forcing Duo to stay in the infirmary until he was stronger, but it seemed he was just as helpless to deny his prince anything as the rest of the castle was. Duo didn't even have to bat an eye before his every whim was taken care of. Wufei always thanked his ancestors' lucky stars that Duo, unlike every other royal he had come in contact with, wasn't a spoiled brat with a taste for greed.

His legs shaking as he took the uneven steps carefully, Duo could only think about his lover down there somewhere in the dark and locked in a cold cell. A shiver ran down his spine. He had to get Heero out of there.

"Wufei?" His voice sounded shaky as they finally stepped off the last stair and Wufei snatched a torch off the wall.

"He's in the last cell, David." Wufei stretched the torch out in front of them illuminating the long hall of barred doors.

Duo whimpered and charged down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him.

"Heero!" He gasped as he reached the bars at the end of the row, Wufei close behind him. Heero was curled into a ball in the very back corner of the cell lying on the dirty hay sprinkled floor with his hands wrapped over his head, he face buried in his knees pulled all the way up to his chest.

Wufei hurriedly unlocked the cell door and watched as Duo rushed in and fell to his knees beside the shaking man.

Duo was almost afraid to touch him. Heero's body was shaking with a mixture of tears and cold and his cloths were splattered with blood. "Heero? Love?"

The sound of his beloved's voice cut through his pained haze and Heero gingerly lifted his head to see Duo staring down at him worriedly. "Duo?"

"Oh God!" Duo felt tears begin to leak down his cheeks as he threw himself at Heero and wrapped his arms tightly around his still shaking frame. "I'm so sorry love! It's all my fault."

Heero blinked in surprise then pain as he gently pried Duo away from him. "Duo, I almost killed you." And he would gladly die because of it. He was a danger to his beloved Duo. He was frightened of what he had almost done.

Duo blinked at him in desperation. "But you didn't! Heero, you didn't kill me." He placed his hands on either side of Heero's smudged face. "You didn't know. I'm so sorry."

Looking into his lover's dark violet eyes, Heero laid a hand over one of Duo's on his face and then gingerly brushed the other over the stark white bandage on his upper arm now stained with a spot of red. "I hurt you Duo. Badly." Then remembering the moment when Duo's eyes rolled back into his head and he began to collapse, he chocked, "I thought I had killed you after all."

Ignoring Heero's whine of protest, Duo leaned forward and pressed their lips together urgently. "Hush love." He began to pepper kisses over Heero's mouth, cheeks, eyes, and brow trying to wash away that tormented look from his face. "You didn't kill me. You barely hurt me. I'm the one that hurt you."

Pushing Duo just far enough away so that his lips couldn't continue their pleasant torture on his skin, Heero look at his lover in disbelief. "Barely hurt you? Duo I'm covered in your blood!" He clutched at his blood splattered shirt with trembling hands. "I watched as you nearly bleed to death." Then he laughed mirthlessly, "I was paid to kill you, for fuck's sake!"

Duo grabbed his hands and pressed them to his chest so that Heero could feel his frantically beating heart. "Heero, it was an accident. You didn't know I was the prince of Sanq. You didn't deal me a death blow." He squeezed Heero's dirty trembling hands. "You can feel my heart beating Heero. It's beating for you, love."

Breath caught in Heero throat as the quick and steady beating of Duo's heart flowed through the palms of his hands up his arms and straight into his chest. He listened to Duo's words with a desperate thirst.

Duo was alive. He hadn't killed his lover. Duo wasn't angry with him for his attempt on his life. He didn't want Heero's apologies.

Looking from his dirty blood splattered hands now clutching firmly at Duo's pristine white shirt to his lover's deep smiling violet eyes, Heero asked in barely a whisper, "Do you-… do you still love me?"

Duo chuckled airily and smiled brightly at his nervous lover, "With all my heart and soul."

Heero felt his chest swell and suddenly found himself clutching Duo tightly to chest, his lips devouring his in a desperate kiss.

Duo wrapped his arms around Heero and grasped frantically to his strong shoulders as their tongues met and twisted together in sweet pleasure. The feel of Heero's beautiful hands holding him and burying their fingers into his braid to stroke at his scalp sent happy jolts through his body. A moan escaped his throat as their lips moved together and their tongues continued to explore and taste.

Pulling away fractionally, Heero nibbled on Duo's full bottom lip before placing tender kisses across his jaw and down his neck then burying his face in Duo's loosened braid and inhaling his lover's light scent of lavender. "God! Duo after… I thought you'd hate me."

"No!" Duo gasped and pressed his face into the curve of Heero's neck and shoulder savoring his earthy scent and soft skin. "Never. Always love you, no matter what."

"But you ran." Heero whispered as he stroked hands down Duo's suddenly shaking back.

"I-" Duo whimpered remembering. "I was so shocked. I couldn't imagine you hurting anyone. Then you told me your target was me." He sobbed abruptly and tightened his hold on Heero. "I'm sorry! I just didn't know what to think. I was scared."

Heero closed his eyes in pain and nuzzled into the skin of Duo's neck, burying himself deeper. "Of me?"

Duo sighed and pulled away to looked his saddened lover in the eyes. "Yes." He pressed their foreheads together and breathed deep of the closeness before looking his morose lover in his deep blue eyes. "But only until I remembered that the assassin carrying my name on a contract was the same man that was also carrying my heart in his chest."

Smiling tenderly in the face of Heero hopeful surprise, Duo stroked the sides of his face and placed a warm soft kiss to Heero's slightly parted lips. "Then I remembered that I knew you would never harm me on purpose. Contract or no, Heero, you love me and I love you and that is all that matters."

Letting out a relieved breath, Heero placed his hands on the sides of Duo's face as well and kissed him long and searching. "You are far wiser than me, Duo, and I love you with all my being."

"Good." Duo grinned mischievously, "'cause I would have kicked your ass if you didn't."

Heero laughed and stroked his fingers through Duo's long bangs. "So you're the crowned prince of Sanq, hmm?"

"It would seem so." Duo smiled wrapping his arms around Heero's neck and laying his head on his strong shoulder.

Heero shifted his abruptly relaxed lover to sit in his lap, and began to re-familiarize himself with the feel of Duo's body against his own and the taste and scent of his skin. "Do you trust me?" He asked as he kissed Duo down his neck.

"Of course I do." Duo exclaimed his eyes drifting closed to enjoy his lover's attentions, completely forgetting that they were still on the floor of a cell underneath the castle.

Smirking happily against Duo's tingling skin, Heero asked in a husky voice, "What is your given name, Duo of the Street, with the face of a royal and the heart of a commoner?"

Lifting his head off of Heero's shoulder, Duo looked his lover in the face studying his brightened eyes, his beautiful smile. "David James Maxwell, Crowned Prince and heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Sanq."

The smile that bloomed on Heero's face took his breath away a split second before he crushed their lips together and made the cell walls spin with pleasure.

Gasping for breath as he pulled away Duo, grinned and asked in a husky voice, "What is your given name, Heero the Traveler?"

Chuckling, Heero began to sprinkle kisses from Duo's temple all over his flushed face. "Heero Odin Yuy, Assassin by trade and born of the Eastern lands of the Orient, at your service, my prince."

Both lovers chuckled and would have continued to revel in each other's closeness and love had it not been for the slightly uncomfortable and somewhat amused clearing of a throat at the entrance of the cell.

Both men looked in the direction of the sound and blushed profusely when Wufei grinned at their embarrassment. "May I suggest that we move this to a more comfortable and better smelling area of the castle?" Then his amusement faded and looked at Heero in all seriousness. "I would like to have a word with you in regards to your employer."

Comprehension dawned and Heero turned to face his lover with a frighteningly serious expression on his face. "Duo, I don't know exactly what you political situation is, but you are going to have major problems on your hands."

Duo's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"The king, Duo," Heero said. "The king paid me to kill you."

Heero watched in fascination as Duo's brow knitted in furry and storm clouds brewed in his violet eyes. "That Son of Bitch!"

* * *

They had rushed out of the dungeons through a hidden passage way in the wall of the stair case and ran down the pitch dark hall; hands clasped tightly, Wufei leading the way.

"The motherfucking, cock sucking, bastard!" Duo's color adjectives for his uncle had been their constant entertainment since hearing Heero's admission. "I can't believe that prick!"

"Honestly, David." Wufei sighed as he slowed down to make a turn down a fork in the passage. "It's not like you weren't planning on killing the man after you were crowned king. Why are you taking this so personally?"

"You were planning on killing your own father?" Heero was surprised at his gentle mischievous lover. He couldn't imagine him ever wanting to commit violence.

"That fucktard is _not_ my father!" Duo informed as he took the stairs two at a time that lead to the second floor right next too the laundry room, Wufei barely a step ahead of him. "Literally speaking he's my half uncle. He just married my mother after my old man died becoming the temporary king till I can rightfully assume the throne."

"When you turn eighteen?" Heero asked in amusement at Duo's colorful nicknames.

"Yep!" Duo chirped as they neared the stone doorway that would lead out of the hidden passage way and into the servants' area of the castle. "In two days I'll be able to take the throne giving me absolute power over everything that happens in the kingdom." He dropped his voice to a whisper as Wufei peeked out to make sure the coast of clear.

"Oh my God." Heero shuddered. "He came to the Inn two days ago asking me to expedite the proceedings."

Duo paused in his astoundingly silent foot steps down the hall to stare at Heero in confusion. "He wanted you dead before your eighteenth birthday so that he could keep the throne." Heero clarified, stroking Duo's cheek tenderly remembering just how close he had come to ending his precious life.

Squeezing Heero's hand comfortingly Duo leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth lovingly. "It's alright, love. Now, because or you, I can assume the throne early and behead that fucker before he ruins my kingdom anymore than he already has."

A shiver of arousal went down Heero's spine. "Do you know how sexy you are when you get possessive and vengeful?"

Duo smiled wolfishly, but before he could respond, Wufei hissed anxiously, "Will you two hurry up! There will plenty of time for that _after_ we kill Dekim!"

They smiled sheepishly, Duo shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "Sorry Fei! He's just so damned delicious."

Rolling his eyes, Wufei turned back to peek around the corner. "I told Trowa and Quatre that I would meet them in the laundry room to discuss the assassin situation after I had checked on you. They should still be there."

Duo and Heero both nodded and the three of them snuck around the corner and slipped unnoticed into the laundry room.

"David!" Quatre lunged from his perch on the rim of a laundry vat and attached himself to Duo like a koala bear. "I was so worried! Sally let you out of the infirmary?!"

"Jeeze, Quat. Let a guy breathe will you?" Duo rolled his eyes at an amused Heero.

When Quatre had detached himself and Trowa had stepped up and joined the group, Duo grasped Heero's hand and smiled at his childhood friends. "Quatre, Trowa, this is Heero, the man I love more than anything." He smiled dreamily at a blushing Heero. "Heero, this is my best friend and squire, Quatre and my older cousin and coconspirator Trowa."

Heero shook their hands, embarrassed that his were still dirty beyond belief, then turned to his lover and asked, "Coconspirator?"

"Yep." Duo smirked evilly. "We both share a mutual dislike for my uncle, Trowa's father. I've already given Trowa the privilege of being the one to drop the guillotine."

Heero shivered at the dark expression on his lovers face. "Maybe you should have been the assassin."

"Nah." Duo grinned. "I just really hate that bastard. He stole my father's wife, tried to have his place in my life, starved my people, and made war on my allies, plus he's treated Trowa like shit."

"If I may," Wufei broke into the conversation, "We need to begin planning our next move now that Dekim has thrown down the gauntlet."

"Mm," Duo hummed in agreement before leading the way to a circular area in the very back of room secluded by vats of dye, staked bales of cotton and linen fabric. "Alright, guys. I'm a little out of the loop what with my passing out and all, so brief me on the situation thus far."

"We're uninformed on the events prior, but when he got to your room you were in the midst of passing out." Trowa began to explain. "After apprehending Heero here, Wufei and I took him to the dungeons while Sally and Quatre doctored you up." He turned to the assassin. "By the way, sorry about that Heero."

"It's alright. You did the right thing." Heero nodded then scooted infinitesimally closer to Duo seeking his body heat.

Quatre decided to add information. "We have kept what happened from Dekim so far, but we don't know how long until the grapevine will get to him."

Duo nodded and tapped a finger to his bottom lip in thought. "Heero has informed me that it was in fact Dekim that had hired him to kill me. That man has crossed the line and needs to be dealt with before my birthday, before he has time to find another way to try and off me."

"That's not going to happen." Heero stated in determination. "No one's going to hurt you while I'm still breathing."

Duo grinned in pleasure and pecked Heero on the cheek before turning back to their amused audience. "Ahem." He cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Anyway, I already contacted the advisors on previous business and had set up a meeting in the morning." He really hoped no one asked him what that business was. He wanted to keep it a secret just a little bit longer.

"Good." Wufei nodded. "It's almost morning anyway, so that won't be a problem to attend to before Dekim appears for the day. What is your plan Duo?"

"I haven't really worked one out." Duo frowned. "This has all happened so fast I've pretty much been winging it since yesterday."

"We can do to Dekim what he was planning to do to you." Quatre straightened up with the light of an idea in his eyes.

"Quat," Duo half smiled in amusement, "We have been planning to do that. You know; the guillotine?"

"No, no." Quatre frowned annoyed, and waved a hand at Duo. "What I meant was take him by surprise. He planned on taking you by surprise and blind siding all of us with your murder. We'll turn his plan back on him."

"What are you suggesting, love?" Trowa asked with an intrigued look in his eyes.

"I'm suggesting we stage David's murder." Quatre smirked evilly. "He expects to be able to waltz into court and sit on the throne without a single opposition." He had grown up a diplomat's son before he stayed at Sanq castle to be with his best friend and his lover. He knew exactly what he was talking about.

"But before he can assume the throne, which would happen immediately after the confirmation of your death, he must go and make a formal announcement to the advisors as next in line for the throne." Quatre grinned as the plan began to take shape. "It's all very ritualistic, and considering just how arrogant Dekim is he won't check to make sure you're really and truly dead before rushing straight to the advisors."

Duo was beginning to see where this was going. A mischievous fox-like smirk was curving at his face. "And when he comes to the advisors I'll be there to order the execution of his treasonous ass right in front of him."

Quatre returned Duo's smirk and chuckled darkly. "Exactly, my prince."

"Oh how I do love it when you're evil." Duo threw an arm around Quatre's shoulders and grabbed him up in a massive hug.

"That sounds perfect." Heero admitted. "Except for one thing."

Duo and Quatre stopped celebrating. Turning to his lover in confusion, Duo asked, "What do you mean? It's brilliant."

"The agent Dekim hired me through came to me yesterday." Heero explained. "He informed me that upon completion of your murder I was to receive the other half of my money. I was literally to go straight from your rooms to Dekim's and collect my payment."

"That's not a problem." Trowa spoke up. "Dekim, greedy as he may be, is no fool. He may not need to see your body to believe that you are dead but he will need some form of proof of your demise."

Heero frowned. "I don't understand. That is still a problem."

"No." Trowa correct with a small smile. "You stabbed Duo, did you not?"

"Yes, but I still don't-" He cut himself off then let his mouth fall open in comprehension. "Oh."

"The dagger!" Wufei exclaimed catching onto what Trowa was getting at. "It is covered in Duo's blood." Then looking Heero up and down with a slight grimace, "And so are you, as a matter of fact."

"Can somebody, please, fill me in!" Duo groused glaring at the other three boys. "I still don't understand what you're getting at."

Heero smirked, turning to his lover and grabbing his shoulders in excitement. "Trowa's saying I should take the dagger, covered in your blood, and present that as evidence of your death as well as the blood splattered on me!"

Raising an amused eyebrow, Duo chuckled. "I never imagined you would get so excited about my death, love. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Egh! Duo!" Heero laughed despite his disgust and smacked his lover lightly on his uninjured arm in punishment. "Of course not. I like you alive and healthy." Then he smirked rather lecherously and leaned forward to run his tongue teasingly over Duo's smiling lips.

Wufei rolled his eyes and grumbled, "They're worse than you two," causing Quatre to blush and Trowa to smirk.

* * *

TBC…


	6. Cry Havoc

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

Chapter 06: "Cry 'Havoc', and let slip the dogs of war." – William Shakespeare,_ Julius Caesar_

* * *

Heero clutched at Duo's hand as they neared the door to his room. The door had been shut to keep wandering eyes from seeing the disarray and gore inside. Heero's stomach turned as he remembered the scene that had taken place there a few scant hours before then.

Duo moved closer to his pale lover and nuzzled his neck comfortingly before they followed Wufei inside.

The room looked a mess. Heero took in the disheveled bed, the wide open balcony doors, the massive pool of drying blood on the floor. "God." He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his lover taking comfort in the beat of his heart and the warmth of his skin.

"It's alright, love." Duo soothed, wrapping his arms just as tightly around his shaking lover. "It's over now, Heero."

"I know." Heero took a deep breath and moved away from his lover feathering a kiss to the corner of his mouth before he turned to the room and began looking for his dagger.

Wufei consciously ignored the display as he took in the room remembering what had happened and what he had seen with an internal cringe. "Do you know where you dropped the dagger?"

Heero frowned as he looked around for any sign of the dagger but despite the oil lamp still burning on the table the room had deep shadows crawling over the floor. "I think I dropped it right after I stabbed Duo."

The sound of something metal falling to the floor followed by an agonized scream echoed in Duo's head as he replayed his memories. "Try looking under the bed. I remember hearing it drop to the floor after I woke up."

Kneeling on the cold floor Heero bent to the side and looked under the four poster bed. He could just barely see the hilt glinting in the lamp light half covered in shadows. Reaching under and pulling it out Heero fought a wave of nausea when he saw that the blade still dripped with Duo's blood.

"I found it." Duo turned at the rough sound of Heero's voice and walked over to him as he stood up.

"Good." Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's waist and kissed him gently, his fingers rubbing comfortingly in circles on either side of Heero's spine. "Let's go. You need to go and give my prick of an uncle a wake up call and I have to get ready for the advisors."

Heero returned the kiss and ran a hand down Duo's braid. "You want me to meet you back in Trowa's chambers after I collect my payment?"

"Most definitely!" Duo chirped. "You need to get cleaned up and changed to come with me."

Heero looked at his lover in surprise. "You want me to come with you?" He thought he would just have to wait until after the meeting before he could see his lover again.

"Of course." Duo smiled lovingly at his wide eyes. "I have other business to discuss with them after Dekim's head is lobbed off." He started to nibble on Heero's ear making him grip both the dagger and his braid in a white knuckled hold. "It would be an awfully long time before I would be able to get away. I don't like being without you."

"Mm" Heero tilted his head to the side allowing Duo to continue kissing his tingling neck. "It was murder every time I watched you climb back over that wall, Duo."

"I know love." Duo sighed and kissed his way back up to Heero's mouth. "Never again. We can be together now."

Heero growled in agreement then pressed his lips to Duo's and pulled the prince closer to his body savoring the feeling.

Wufei was patiently waiting for them to separate up until the point when it looked as though they were sucking each other down their throats. That's when he felt the need to intervene. "Ahem!" he coughed over loudly. "I do believe Heero has evidence to deliver and Duo has advisors to schmooze."

Separating with flushed faces and half lidded eyes, Duo chuckled breathily. "Oh, right. Forgot about all that."

"So it would seem." Wufei grumbled.

Heero placed a tender kiss on the corner of Duo's mouth before stepping away, heading out of the room into the hall, and disappearing before Duo could blink.

Sighing deeply, Duo frowned in worry. He sincerely prayed that everything would go according to plan. He felt a cold breeze spike at his neck and he shivered. The difficult part of this whole plan was just beginning.

"Let's go Wufei." Duo walked ahead of his friend and they both traveled toward Trowa's rooms to begin their preparation.

* * *

Surprisingly enough Heero didn't find it hard at all to slip into his old habits as he moved from shadow to shadow on his way to Dekim's rooms, his assassin persona rising to the surface all too easily.

Picking the lock on the door was a peace of cake, slinking through the oppressive darkness toward the snoring lump on the over large bed wasn't much harder.

Smiling evilly, Heero lifted a leg and began to crawl over the mattress toward the fat blob, the pleasure of a game of cat and mouse reminding him of why he became an assassin in the first place, apart from the money that is.

Once he came to within an uncomfortably close distance from Dekim's sleeping form, Heero sat cross legged on the satiny comforter, pulled a smoothed down sharpening shone from his pocket and began to sharpen one of his daggers. The sound of the steely metal slicing away at the stone echoed blaringly loud throughout the room.

Dekim scrunched up his face in annoyance. He couldn't put his finger on it but something was demanding his attention, something important and detrimental to his health was tugging at his dreaming mind. His snoring stopped and a grating sound cut through his unconscious making itself known.

He huffed, twisted in his sleep then pried his eyes open and saw nothing in the darkness of his room, but he could still hear that eerily steady sound and feel a weight and warmth next to him on his bed.

Hastily sitting up and reaching for the oil lamp next to the bed, Dekim yelped in fright when the light flooded the room illuminating the assassin sitting on his bed a lot closer than Dekim had realized.

Dekim flinched away from the deadly man when he noticed that the sound that had woken him was the continuous drawing back and forth of an extremely sharp dagger on a glossy black stone.

"Wha-what are you doing in my room!?" His voice squeaked and he stuttered in the tiniest bout of fright.

Heero kept his face an intimidating neutral as he brought the blade up to eye level and flicked a calloused thumb along it testing the sharpness and drawing his own blood. "The agent informed me that the other half of the payment would be available upon immediate completion of my service to you."

Dekim watched as the assassin licked thoughtfully at the blood running down his thumb tasting it with a bored look on his face before wiping the rest on his shirt. Swallowing compulsively and growing nauseas at the sight of dried blood already splattered all over the man's shirt, Dekim asked, "It's done? But I requested that you poison him discreetly."

"Murder is never discreet." Heero informed him as he continued to play study the sharpened blade of his dagger, sticking his tongue out and licking the scant bit of blood from the blade. "Besides," He grinned wolfishly, "I felt like a having a little fun tonight."

A rush of air escaped Dekim's lungs as he struggled to keep from shaking. He had wanted David killed. Perhaps not so brutally, he reasoned, but dead is dead. One can't be too picky now can they? "Do you have proof?" Heero raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you have proof that you completed the deal?"

Heero began to twirl the dagger in his hand like a small baton. "What? You need more proof than the blood on my hands, and the splatters on my shirt?"

His eyes flicking to Heero's hands, Dekim finally noticed that his hands were stained coppery brown. Turning the slightest bit pale green, Dekim tried to sound stern and demanding. "I require solid proof that you have killed the prince. No proof, no money."

"Suit your self." Heero shrugged and unsheathed his right dagger. He had made sure some of the blood on the blade was still wet and, timed perfectly, a large drop of blood fell from the blade and landed on Dekim's wrinkled white night shirt. "Here," Heero offered, "You want to taste? It's good and sweet."

Shoving himself as far against the head board as he could possibly be to get away from the blood drenched dagger, Dekim gagged barely keeping his stomach inside his belly. "Get that thing away from me!"

Heero shrugged again. "Your loss." Then, remembering that Duo's rooms were on the complete other side of the castle, put a dreamy look on his face and added, "He tasted so good. He was a screamer too." He sighed heavily, "Perfectly exquisite."

Dekim did throw up then. He leaned over the side of bed and lost both his dinner and his midnight post-coital snack.

Heero sheathed the bloody dagger and waited until he was done dry heaving and was sitting straight on the bed again wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his night shirt before asking, "Where's the rest of my payment?"

Gesturing quickly to the other side of the room where his desk was, Dekim hurriedly answered, "In the top right hand drawer. All fifty thousand as we agreed on."

Bouncing merrily off the bed, Heero practically skipped across the room and didn't even bother asking for a key to the drawer he just used his strength and ripped it open. Reaching his hand in, he pulled the marginally heavy black velvet bag up and out, weighing it in his hand with satisfaction.

Turning back around, he nodded his head and gave Dekim a decidedly evil smile. "It's been a pleasure. Do tell your friend's about me." Then he glided out of the room leaving Dekim clammy and shaky in his wake.

Once he was down the hall and out of ear shot Heero dropped the bag of coins and wretched in the corner of a secluded stair case. The things he had said had brought images to his mind that made his stomach roll and his head spin. "Fuck."

His curse was breathed out almost inaudibly as he spit the remaining bile from his mouth and wiped his mouth with his hand, smearing blood from his thumb on his cheek. It was too easy to imagine Duo laying a pool of his own blood, strips of his flesh sliced off, pale in death, his beautiful eyes dull and vacant.

Shivering, Heero straightened and picked up the bag of coins to continue gliding his way down the hall toward where he was instructed Trowa's rooms were.

* * *

Duo paced Trowa's study as Quatre, Wufei, and Trowa watched him in amusement. The sky was barely growing lighter out of the window and Duo was already dressed for his meeting with the advisors.

"Duo, I'm sure everything went alright." Quatre tried to assure his nervous friend. "Besides, Heero's an assassin. How much damage do you think Dekim could do to him?"

Stopping in mid pace, Duo closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. "You're right." He clasped his hands in front of his face to center himself. "You're right. I'm just nervous. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours."

"I'd say so." Trowa sounded amused and looked just as much as well. "Heero is a trained professional. I think he can fake your death without anyone disbelieving him."

Duo nodded but continued pacing. It helped burn off his nervous energy. He may not be as nervous about Heero anymore, but facing the advisors was always nerve racking.

He was about to give up and sit down when the door to Trowa's room opened and Heero stepped in, looking pale and frighteningly tired.

Duo's eyes were immediately drawn to a smear of blood along Heero's cheek. "Oh God! Are you alright?" He rushed toward his lover and began to search him for injuries.

Wasting no time, Heero wrapped Duo in a shockingly tight embrace and sealed their mouths together only letting his lover up for air when he had satisfied himself that Duo was perfectly flushed, perfectly whole, and perfectly vibrantly alive.

Duo's head was buzzing as Heero suckled on his bottom lip and his body felt comfortably warm, but he found it in him to protest. "You're hurt. I need to find out where." His voice sounded weak and breathy.

"I'm fine." Heero assured as he continued to nibble at Duo's damp and slightly swollen lips. "Just a scratch on my thumb."

Duo nodded dumbly completely enjoying Heero's ministrations till a taste in his mouth caught his attention. Frowning suddenly he pulled back to focus on Heero's face. "Did you throw up?"

Blushing slightly, Heero nodded embarrassedly. "I'm sorry; it's just that I wanted to scare Dekim a little bit."

"So you threw up on him?" Duo raised his eyebrow in amusement

"No." Heero huffed in annoyance. "I woke him up to the sound of me sharpening my dagger." Duo raised his eyebrow again, this time with a mischievous grin attached. "Then I described how I-" Heero paused holding down a gag as the images flashed through his head. "How I made you scream, how your blood tasted."

Duo's amusement melted into concern as his lover started to turn pale green. "Heero, are you alright?" He stroked his hands down the sides of Heero's face. "Was it really that horrible?"

A wry grin formed on Heero's lip chasing away the green but not the pale. "It made Dekim throw up."

His laughter floated through Heero like a balm on his raw nerves and queasy stomach. "After this is all over," Duo exclaimed, "you're going to have to tell me exactly what you said and did to that fat bastard."

Smiling as his lover's mirth affectively chased away the last of his sick nerves, Heero nodded in agreement. "I think I might have gone a tad over board, but it was worth it."

"I'll bet." Duo smiled again saying, "Let's get you cleaned up and ready for the meeting," then scrunched up his face and puckered his mouth. "I think I'm gonna clean up again myself, actually."

Heero chuckled along with their audience, then he and Duo headed for the bathroom.

Duo watched in the mirror while he brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth out as Heero stripped out of his stained cloths and stepped into the steaming tub. He felt his heart flutter and his stomach flip as he was reminded of just how gorgeous his lover truly was. The scars over his whole body added an unbelievably sexy roughness to his graceful movements.

Now that Duo knew his lover was an assassin he didn't have to really ponder upon how his body became riddled with scars. Hazards of the job, he guessed. They made Heero even more beautiful.

"Are you going to rinse your mouth or are you just going to keep staring at me?" Heero's amused question drew Duo's eyes from roaming over his muscular torso to connect with his deep blue eyes in the mirror.

Spitting into the basin and cupping his hand under the faucet, Duo responded, "I was just wishing we had enough time for me to join you."

Heero picked up the bar of soar and the wash cloth, wetting both and rubbing them together. "Do I get a rain check for after this thing is finished?"

Duo finished wiping the drops of water from his face and strode over to the tub to kneel beside it. "Most definitely."

Wrapping his arms around Heero's damp shoulders, Duo brought their faces together for a slow heated kiss. "Can I wash your back for you, lover?"

A deep growl almost made it out of Heero chest. "Be my guest." He leaned forward and began to kiss down Duo's neck as he handed over the soapy wash cloth.

Duo tilted his head to the side, eyes half closed enjoying the feel of Heero's lips on his neck, as he waited for Heero roll up his sleeves so that he could dip his hand into the bath and begin his self appointed task.

Heero finished rolling up Duo's sleeves and ran his hands up and over his shoulders to bury themselves in his thick braid and tilt his head further allowing him greater access. Sighing against Duo's throat, he shivered as his lover's gentle hands began to stroke the cloth over his stomach in slow circular motions.

Loving the firmness of Heero's body underneath his hands, Duo turned his face just enough to drop a few kisses on Heero's shoulder without disrupting his lover's attentions to his neck. He stroked the cloth over his stomach and up his ribs before slowing at his chest. Both of Duo's hands were wet and soapy as he brushed the cloth over one of Heero's hardened nipples while he stroked and circled the other with his slick finger drawing a sudden shuddering breath from his lover and nice deep quiver.

Biting down gently on the curve of Duo's neck and shoulder Heero licked and sucked at the skin there, creating a pink mouth shaped mark to his satisfaction; the sound of Duo's breath hitching in his throat, bringing a smirk to his lips.

Duo brought the cloth up and drew it lovingly over Heero's strong broad shoulder and up his arm to his elbow before retreating back down to curve it over his shoulder and continue its soapy path down his shoulder blade.

His hand skimmed over a few bumps as Duo brought the cloth over two long raised scars on Heero's back making him gasp in surprise as the sensitive tissue sent light ripples of pleasure through his body.

"Duo." Heero growled low in his chest. "You're torturing me."

"I do believe," Duo murmured as he switched the cloth from hand to hand and stroked it over Heero's other shoulder and up the side of his neck, "that was the general idea."

Chuckling, Heero drew away from his flushed and mischievous lover. "We'd better quit this before I pull you in here with me."

"Nothing's stopping you." Duo's eyes were half closed but his smile was tempting and lecherous.

"And ruin your neat clothes?" Heero asked, playing the scandalized party.

Duo, realizing that his fun had finally come to an end, sat back on his heels, pout firmly in place. "But I have plenty more, love."

"I'm sure you do." Heero agreed as he relieved his lover of the wash cloth and kissed him softly on his pouting lips. "But we don't have enough time to do all the things I want to do to you and we have a greedy glutton to accuse and execute."

Sighing in resignation, Duo dipped his hands into the bath water and rinsed the soap from them, but before pulling them back out again he took hold of Heero's half hard erection and gave it a long firm pump causing his lover to gasp and arch his back in surprise and pleasure. "I'll be looking forward to all of those things, Heero, when this is over with." He whispered huskily.

Heero barely had time to shiver in pleasure and return the hard kiss Duo landed on his lips before his smirking lover was up and gone through the bathroom door. Looking down in frustration at his now fully erect penis under the hot water, Heero muttered, "What am I going to do about this?"

* * *

Heero stood behind Duo's throne like chair in the meeting room, Wufei to his right and Trowa to his left, Quatre had a smaller seat to Duo's left.

After cleaning away ever bit Duo's blood from his body, Heero had to borrow a shirt from Trowa and a pair of pants from Wufei. Duo had grumbled that he could have borrowed clothes from him but Heero pointed out that he would have snapped almost every seam. He wasn't much taller but he was broader and had more defined muscles than his beautiful lover.

Decided that he needed to be prepared for anything, Heero sat with Trowa's cleaning equipment and began to clean every drop of blood from his dagger then sharpen them both while the other four plotted how to approach the advisors.

By the time Heero was satisfied and they were through, the sun had risen and like clock work, they heard a frightened blood curdling scream coming from the direction of Duo's room.

Cringing as his ears began to ring, Duo turned to Quatre, "Jeeze, Quat. What did you tell her? To scream like she was being eaten alive?"

"Actually," Quatre wiggled a finger in his ear to try and stop the echo, "I just told her you'd give her a hundred gold coins if she pretended to find your dead body." Then tilting his head as if remembering something, he said, "Oh. And I told her to make it believable and have fun with it."

Chuckling Duo was about to say something witty when suddenly they heard the maid Quatre had enlisted to spread the news run passed their room still screaming at the top of her lungs, this time with little gasps of breath in between. "She's going to hyperventilate." Duo said. "Who did you ask anyhow?"

"Relena." Quatre smirked.

Trowa, Wufei, and Duo all cringed. "Well that explains the ear splitting shrieks." Duo rolled his eyes.

"Well," Quatre conceded, "she can be a bit over dramatic."

"Quite the understatement." Wufei huffed then stood from his seat on the couch. "I do believe it is time to head for the meeting. Don't you agree gentlemen?"

By the time they had reached the meeting room, the advisors were in an uproar and panic thinking the prince was really dead. Duo had smirked, satisfied. "Well news certainly travels fast."

"Your Highness!" Dorothy, one of the advisors, gasped. It was a minor miracle that he was standing in the door way after the display Relena had put on over discovering his death.

Duo strolled into the room, fingers entwined with Heero's his three friends following behind. "Yes, Miss Catalonia. I am definitely healthy and alive."

"But, Sir!" She gasped as the other advisors looked on in amazement and none too little relief. They wouldn't have been able to stop Dekim from assuming the throne and that would have been a complete disaster. "We just got word that you had been assassinated!"

The prince simply smiled charmingly and tugged on Heero's arm. "Meet my assassin, Heero Odin Yuy."

The assembled group gasped in surprised and fear. They had all heard of Mister Yuy. He got the job done and never failed, never.

Dorothy leaned closer and lowered her voice so that only Duo could hear. "Sir, that's Heero Yuy, the assassin that 'never fails'."

"That's right." Duo grinned completely unsurprised. "Isn't that what I just said?"

Zecks Marquise, another of his advisors, stepped forward and cleared his throat. "It would seem that we are in the dark here, Your Majesty. Kindly fill in the blanks."

Heero found it strange that a whole room of older more experienced men and one woman were calling his fox-like lover things like "highness" and "majesty". It baffled him and made his chest swell with pride.

"Of course, Zecks." Duo nodded respectfully to the older man, pointedly ignoring the lecherous gaze directed at his body guard, Wufei. "If we can all be seated, we have little time to explain the situation before Dekim appears and tries to take my throne. I assure you there is a reason for faking my death and for bringing Mister Yuy into our midst."

The group began to murmur and whisper but dutifully organized themselves and took their seats.

"Now," Duo folded his hands in front of him and began his explanation with maturity and confidence. Heero watched his lover in awe. "Late last night it had come to my attention that my uncle, Dekim Barton, had hired Mister Yuy to kill me before my eighteenth birthday so that he could assume the throne."

Strangely enough several of the advisors looked nervously around unsurprised by this revelation. Duo raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at his wall of defense, giving them a significant look. They nodded and each chose an advisor to watch very carefully.

Dorothy and Zecks both looked angered. "He was planning to usurp your throne."

"That's right, Zecks." Duo nodded. "Thanks to Heero, he didn't succeed."

He went on to explain that he was requesting to take the throne early in light of recent events and met little to no opposition. He explained his plan to trap Dekim then announced his order of execution. That had brought up some shocked exclamations.

"But Sir!" A fat sweating man protested. "You cannot simply behead a member of the royal family."

"Oh? I can't?" Duo questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. "Is that not precisely what Dekim had hired an assassin to do to me? Is that not what has been happening in royal families since the dawn of time?"

"Wouldn't you want to show some compassion? After all," a balding man in his fifties with his remaining hair slicked back pointed out, "he is your flesh and blood, married to your mother, the queen."

"I know very well who he is married to." Duo stated in an aloof and patronizing tone. "I also know that he tried to have me killed. He tried to have your prince and future king killed. I would think that would constitute a beheading."

Heero didn't like this one. He growled low in his throat and his fingers twitch at his daggers. The slick man was underestimating his lover. Unacceptable.

Duo could hear the slight growl from behind him and he smirked evilly. "Defy me in my decision and I will have you executed right here. Do I make myself clear?"

Slick man and Fatty both sat back in their chairs and kept their mouths shut. If they had thought Dekim was a hard ruler; they were realizing that David could be much worse.

"Good." Duo smiled at the rest of the advisors. "Dekim should be appearing any minute now and when he does," Duo stood from his place and motioned for everyone to do the same, "I want him to see his world crumbling before him."

* * *

Dekim practically skipped down the hall, Gertrude in his wake crying pitifully into a black handkerchief, black net veil draped over her face and black dress trailing behind her.

"My poor baby!" She wailed dramatically. "Who could do such a thing?"

Dekim did a good job of ignoring her but her whimpering sobs were beginning to grate on his nerves. First thing, he decided, he was going to do once he was crowned was going to be shipping her off to France or Switzerland. At least then he could have some peace and quiet.

"I don't know, darling." He consoled. "It's so tragic." He was practically howling with laughter inside.

Gertrude nodded miserably then continued to follow him as he made his way toward the advisors' meeting room.

Once he had gotten his stomach back in place after the assassin's visit he had scarcely been able to contain his delight. David was dead! David was dead! David was dead! It had such a lovely ring to it.

King Dekim. That also had a lovely ring to it.

After he had killed his half brother he had been climbing those steps toward that throne, then it had come to his attention that his brother had a son. The crowned prince.

Not more than a little squirt at the time, David had been mischievous, head strong, and abnormally clever. Dekim knew he would be an obstacle he needed to traverse very carefully, but if the boy grew up like most privileged royals did he wouldn't need to worry over much. Though, as time passed and David grew to be a teenager, Dekim realized that his seat of power was being threatened by a substantial force.

It had taken him three years to track down an assassin willing to take on the murder of a royal. Three bloody years of waiting and watching as David grew smarter, cleverer, and more defiant. Than one day the agent had happened upon his door step.

The agent was the best known on this hemisphere. He knew who the players were and how to get them. His commission: vastly expensive; his expertise: invaluable.

Dekim had only to pay his travel expenses and wait a fortnight before the agent returned requesting fifty thousand gold coins down payment on the most lethal, most fearless assassin. To say that the agent from the Khushrenada Firm was a God send, would not be over exaggerating.

Sighing at the wonderful memory Dekim stopped in front of the meeting room door and gave his wife one more annoyed roll of his eyes before pushing open the door and stopping mid stride in abject horror.

There, with a satisfied grin on his beautiful face, was Prince David James Maxwell, and standing behind him looking every bit just as satisfied was his know-it-all squire, his haughty body guard, his scheming cousin, and, Dekim gasped in surprise and fear, the assassin.

"Good morning." Duo smirked evilly at his suddenly pale uncle.

Gertrude rushed past her husband and launched herself at her son. "David darling! You're alive!"

Heero reacted before he could think and blocked the woman from getting Duo, knocking her into the table. "You are not to touch him." His voice was flat and growled.

Duo surprised by his lover's reaction placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Heero. She's harmless." Then he turned to his mother and ordered, "Get up, Gertrude."

She whimpered as she watched her son look down at her with a distinct pity and indifference. "David?"

"Despite your many transgressions, you are innocent in this." Duo did not smile, simply watched as the woman that bared him stood shakily to her feet. "You will stand witness, Gertrude, to the execution of your treasonous husband before you are asked to leave."

The queen, felt something in her chest quiver. She realized that she had never been very maternal, but her beloved late husband had wanted an heir and she had produced one, much to his satisfaction. Quickly she found she wasn't up to raising a child and turned his care over to a woman far more suited to loving and caring for him. It was then, as she pulled herself off the floor, that she was struck with a bitter sweet pride.

She was proud that her son had grown into the man she now saw before her, saddened that she didn't have a hand in it, and ashamed to have made those mistakes that now fruited in David simply regarding her as the woman that gave birth to him. But, despite how much she wished other wise, it was true.

Looking past the stern man that had protected her son so readily, she gave David a small humbled smile. "I will obey, Your Highness."

Watching the many emotions flit across Gertrude's face, Duo let his stern expression soften. "Thank you." He said. After all she had never wronged him, just simply ignored him.

Nodding her head at the obvious dismissal, she stepped back and kept her head bowed in submission.

Turning back to regard his uncle, Duo took much satisfaction in his pale face and angry features. "Dekim."

"David." His tone of voice made Heero tense, his fingers flexing for his daggers. "I'm so happy you're alive."

Scoffing Duo leaned on one hip. "Don't kid your self, Dekim. You don't fool anyone here."

"No." Dekim conceded than looked at Heero with a thoughtful expression. "It would seem that I have been the fool. Tell me," he demanded, "were you working for him the whole time, or did he just pay you more?"

Heero smirked, a very scary smirk. "I couldn't very well betray my lover, now could I?"

The room filled with suddenly startled gasps and Dekim's face went pale again then completely red in anger. "So the little slut paid you in sex instead. Either way it's still payment."

Duo had an arm around Heero's shoulders a split second before the assassin tried to lunge at Dekim. "No Heero." He said into his ear. "I promised Trowa, remember. We can't disappoint him."

Taking deep calming breaths, Heero took some satisfaction in the fact that Dekim had backed up against the closed door in an effort to escape him. "No we can't." He was released from Duo's hold and stepped away from his lover to give Trowa a companionable smirk. "If you don't finish him, Trowa, I will finish him for you."

"I would expect nothing less." Trowa smirked and fingered his sword dangling at his hip.

Duo stepped forward and took a deep satisfying breath. "Dekim Barton, you are charged with treason to the crown, treason to the kingdom, and conspiracy to commit murder." Then with a decidedly malicious grin, Duo finished, "You are hereby sentenced to death by beheading."

Dekim listened and found he couldn't believe it. His snotty nephew was actually trying to order him around, trying to order his execution. He couldn't help himself. He laughed.

"You have no authority!" He shouted, almost doubling over in laughter. "You are a prince. I am a king. I can do anything and everything I want."

"Actually," Dorothy stepped forward with an angered scowl on her forked brow, "as of this morning you are no longer acting king of the kingdom of Sanq."

That stopped Dekim's laughing and he paled as Dorothy continued. "You have been stripped of your title, and as such David is now the ruler of this kingdom."

"No." His head was spinning. This wouldn't be happening. That little brat can't do this. "That can't be! I'm still king until that bastard turns eighteen!"

"Correction," Duo pointed out with a helpful grin, "You _were_ still king, but in situations of dire need, the rightful heir to the throne can by pass that law and assume the throne." Dekim stared at him, wide eyed and unseeing, but Duo simply continued to grin and wiggled his fingers at him, his right index finger sporting his father's crest ring. "Gotcha."

Dekim saw red and with a mighty yell drew his ornamental sword that had since then been forgotten at his side and charged forward like an angered bull.

Heero watched in slow motion as Dekim came at his lover. He knew Duo couldn't move out of the way in time, knew that the sword, however dull it might be, would impale his stunned lover, knew that he alone was close enough to stop it.

Before he was even conscious of doing it, Heero lunged forward and pushed Duo back an instant before he felt the unsharpened tip connect with his chest and explode through the skin to impale him directly underneath his sternum.

Duo felt himself fly backward, heard Dekim's scream, saw Heero collapse to his knees, ornamental sword protruding from his chest, blood streaming down his body to pool around him on the marble floor.

Then all hell broke loose.

Trowa registered Duo's scream of agony a moment before he withdrew his sword and plunged it into Dekim's stomach stopping the man mid stride. Dekim's eyes grew wide in surprise; blood began to pour out of his mouth. He looked up into Trowa's hard face, "But I'm your father."

"No," Trowa stated unemotionally, "You are not," before twisting the sword in Dekim's gut and pulling it out to watch the man fall to the floor, eye's wide and vacant.

Duo scrambled across the floor toward his bleeding lover and caught him as he began to fall sideways. "Heero?" He throat was dry. "Heero! Oh God! Please! Please look at me!"

Duo patted Heero's pale cheek lightly trying to get his rolling eyes to focus on him. His lips were stained red as blood began to bubble up into his mouth and his skin was pale and clammy. "Babe? Love, please talk to me!"

Heero could hear his lover's voice pleading with him, he could feel the sword in his chest, but his vision was blurred and hazy. He gave a cough and a trail of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. "Duo?"

"Yes!" Duo's vision blurred as his eyes filled with tears. "It's ok. You're alright. Sally's coming. Hang on." He looked up at the stunned people staring or running around in a panic. "Get Sally!" He ordered fiercely. "Now!"

He didn't know that Dorothy had already turned to run out the door in search of the castle Doctor, her heels pounding painfully on the marble floors.

"Duo." Heero swallowed; the taste of copper heavy and over powering in his mouth. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Duo looked back down at his lover lying limp in his arms staring up at him almost unseeingly. "No. No, no. Nothing to be sorry for. You're going to be perfectly fine." A tear fell from his eyes to land on Heero's face making him blink.

"I didn't- didn't want you to-" He coughed again, more blood flowing from his lips.

"Sh." Duo whispered as he stroked Heero's cheek lovingly and wiping away the trail of blood. "Don't talk, save your strength."

Heero pressed his lips together, shut his eyes tight and shifted a fraction in Duo's gentle secure hold, causing a violent shock of pain to jolt through his body. Duo sobbed and brushed his hair away from his face, trying to find something to do besides watch his lover die. "Don't move, love. Sally's almost here."

A bloody chuckle escaped Heero's mouth as he opened his glazed deep blue eyes and was finally able to focus on Duo's tear stained face. "I didn't think I would die this way." He admitted.

"You're not going to die." Duo scolded. "Where the fuck is Sally!?"

"Duo." Heero reached up and placed a shaking hand on Duo's wet cheek. "It's alright, love."

"No!" Duo sobbed. "It's not alright! You're fucking impaled on a sword!" He clutched at Heero's hand pressing it firmly to his cheek, not caring about the blood being smeared on his skin.

Heero smiled in slight amusement before he coughed, spraying Duo with blood.

"Shit!" Duo pulled Heero closer to his chest and continued to stroke his hair soothingly. "Heero, please." He finally broke down and began to beg. "Please don't leave me. I love you too much."

Heero smiled up at him. "I love you Duo. With my whole being." He ran a thumb along Duo's trembling bottom lip. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

Agony sobbed out of Duo. "You shouldn't have done that! I can't live without you!"

"No one will harm you while I still breathe." Heero quoted himself before his eyes began to drift closed.

"Heero! Stop it!" Duo slapped him hard on the cheek, shocking his eyes open. He leaned down and kissed him hard on the lips, not tasting the blood. "If you die, Heero of my Heart, I will follow you."

Another amused and saddened smile, tinged in red, broke at Heero's lips. "I love you, Duo." Then his eyes closed and he went limp in Duo's arms.

Staring in stock, Duo's hands began to shake. "Heero?" He wiped Heero's bangs away from his brow. "Love? You can't do that!"

Suddenly another pair of hands moved toward Heero's neck and Sally felt along it for a pulse.

Trowa had Quatre wrapped up in his arms while the blond sobbed against his chest. Wufei had his fingers entwined with Zecks, his heart breaking from Duo's agonized cries, even as Sally focused all her energy on her hand at Heero's neck.

The whole room held a breath.

Sally looked up and ordered, "Someone get me a stretcher! He's still alive."

* * *

TBC….


	7. When sorrows come

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

Chapter 07: "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions" – William Shakespeare, _Hamlet_

* * *

Duo sat outside the infirmary, sobbing brokenly. He could smell Heero's blood, metallic and warm, on his skin and clothes. His head was in his hands, finger's clinched tightly in his bangs while uncontrollable tears flowed down his cheeks to splash on the floor.

Quatre sat at his side, stroking a hand up and down his back, trying to comfort him. His own lover had been ordered into the infirmary with Sally and Dorothy to assist in the surgery. He prayed that Heero lived not only because he didn't want him to die, but because he feared that Duo wouldn't survive that.

Wufei and Zecks stood guard at the entrance to the hall watching as their prince, their friend, grieved for his lover. "Ancestors! I pray that Heero lives."

Glancing at his discrete lover, Zecks reached over and grabbed his hand. "So do I, Wufei."

This was the scene Gertrude came upon as she stepped up cautiously to the solemn group. She had taken the time to change out of her mourning dress and gather a few things for her son before she made her way through the castle toward the infirmary.

Having caught sight of her, Wufei snarled and blocked her path. "You are not welcome here, Your Highness."

A hand clasping gently to his shoulder took the edge from his steely eyes. Zecks kept his eyes on the queen's startled and saddened eyes. "David absolved her of blame, Wufei. Let her pass."

He looked back at the queen once before giving her a warning glare and stepping aside, Zecks' arm wrapped around his waist lightly.

She nodded in thanks before hurrying passed them and stopping suddenly as she laid eyes upon her son. He was folded double in his chair heaving sobs, violently shaking, and covered in blood.

Quatre looked up, his brow creased when he saw the queen watching his best friend with a helpless frown. He stood up and walked around Duo. "Your Highness-"

"Please." She looked at him, with so much regret. He studied her then nodded and returned to Duo's side.

Gertrude let out a breath in relief and nervousness, then slowly stepped up to Duo and kneeled down beside him placing the neatly folded shirt, bowl of warm water, and wash cloth next to her on the floor.

"David?" Her voice sounded quiet, like a whisper. His sobs drowned her out.

She gently placed a hand on the back of his head and pulled his braid up and over his shoulder. "David, please sit up."

The movement of his braid brought his attention from the gapping whole in his chest to the woman kneeling beside his chair. He turned his head to the side to see who she was. For a split second he thought it was Helen, an apparition of his beloved nanny.

But blinking his eyes his vision cleared and he recognized it as his mother. Sitting up he fought to control his breathing and wiped futilely at his face. "Gertrude."

She closed her eyes and concealed the cringe she felt in her heart. "I brought you some things David." She lifted the bowl of warm water and placed it on the chair next to him. "I thought that, when you go into see Heero later, you might want to be cleaned up for him." She explained in quiet optimism.

Duo blinked and looked down at himself. His shirt was soaked in his lover's blood, his hands and arms weren't much better and he could feel his cheek was stiff from the fluid drying on his skin. "I'm not leaving him."

"I know." She nodded and dipped the wash cloth into the bowl soaking it. "That's why I brought them to you." Kneeling up on her knees she cautiously placed her long manicured fingers under his chin and turned his face toward her.

He closed his eyes and let her manipulate his head. It was strange. She had barely ever touched him as he was growing up and now she was offering to help him wash the blood of his lover from his skin.

Gertrude gently stroked the cloth over David's cheek and watched as the blood washed away. She ran it along his jaw and erased every bloody finger print on his tear stained cheek. It amazed her, now that she was looking, just how very much he looked like his father.

Duo opened his eyes when he felt her brush the cloth lightly at his lips, taking away Heero's blood. "Why?" He asked in a whisper. "Why are you doing this?"

She let hands fall from him and stared down at her lap before lifting her head and looking into the eyes her late husband had entranced her with. "I was never really cut out to be mother, David, but your father wanted a child so bad and I couldn't deny him anything."

Duo listened with a neutral face, but watched her closely as she rinsed the cloth and lifted his hands, running it over them gently. "Helen was a wonderful woman and after James died I knew she would take care of you the way I couldn't."

Watching the blood disappear from his skin, his tears calming under Gertrude's ministrations, Duo said, "I loved her. She was my mother."

Heart clinching, Gertrude fought tears. He wasn't trying to hurt her, she knew, but his words still cut at her. "You couldn't have had a better one." She looked into his dull eyes and gave him a small smile.

He returned it with as much sincerity as he could muster. He realized that she had given him to Helen because she wanted him to be cared for, and that realization eased his feelings of abandonment the slightest bit.

They continued in silence. Gertrude washing the blood from her son was the first truly motherly act she had ever done. When she reached his right hand and she saw her late husband's ring covered in blood her heart shivered. It had been years since she had seen that ring. It had been given to David and he had never worn it before.

She finished washing his hand and tenderly stroked away the blood from the intricate design on the ring before she brought his hand up to her mouth and placed a soft kiss over the crest. "You will be a great king David. Your father would be proud."

He felt his throat constrict and nodded jerkily at her. "Thank you." His voice was strained trying to fight the sibs beginning to rise in his throat again.

Smiling at him, she dropped the sullied cloth into the bowl and picked up the fresh shirt she had brought with her. "Here, put this on."

Grabbing the crusty edge of his shirt he pulled it over his head and let it drop to the floor. After pulling the fresh shirt onto this body, he moved the bowl of red water and patted the seat next to him.

Gertrude looked at him in surprise. Her heart gave a small thud, but she quickly got to her feet and set next to her son.

Duo looked to his right and got a beautifully approving smile from Quatre before he grabbed his friend's hand. Turning back to Gertrude he offered her his hand, she looked from it to his blank face before grasping it tightly.

The three of them sat silently on the chairs outside of the infirmary. Duo's tears returned, but his sobs had quieted, Gertrude's presence and Quatre's closeness helping him control his anguish.

They had been sitting there for what felt like days before Sally stepped out of the infirmary with a grim look on her face.

Duo took one look at the doctor and collapsed to the floor sobbing brokenly. "No! Oh God no!"

Gertrude wrapped her arms around him and started to cry with him.

"David!" Sally rushed forward and grabbed his face forcing him to look at her. "David, listen to me."

He fought for breath but when Sally deemed that he had calmed down fractionally, she explained, "He is very fragile right now, David, but he is by no means gone."

Her words penetrated because his face went from abject despair to cautiously hopeful. "Heero- he's alive?"

"Yes, David." Sally gave him a small smile. "We nearly lost him, but he pulled through the surgery." His face lit up into a blinding smile. "But we can't know if he is going truly live until he wakes up."

Swallowing Duo struggled to get to his unsteady feet, Gertrude on one side and Quatre on the other helping support him. "Can I see him?"

Sally nodded and turned to lead him into the infirmary. He broke away from his supporters and followed her as if he was ready to trudge through the desert if it meant seeing Heero.

They walked through the door and turned toward Heero's bed.

Duo sucked in a breath and struggled to stay on his feet.

Heero was as pale as the white sheet draped over him, his entire chest was wrapped in linen bandages, and the blood that had flowed from his mouth had been wiped clean.

Stepping slowly up to the bed, Duo took the chair placed next to it and reached a cautious hand out toward his lover, as if afraid to touch him.

"He needs lots of rest, David. When he wakes he has a long recovery ahead of him." Sally wisely chose not to say _if_.

Duo didn't indicate that he heard her; he just stared at his lover with a mixture of fear and awe.

Finally letting his trembling finger's stroke along Heero's lips, Duo almost broke down in sobs when he felt a soft breath ghost over his fingers. "Oh thank you, God." He combed his fingers through Heero's tangled and matted bangs before stroking his hands over every bit of exposed skin reveling in the feeling of Heero's chest rising and falling, feeling the warmth of his skin, the beat of his strong heart.

Not noticing Sally, Trowa, and Dorothy leaving the room, Duo pressed soft gentle kisses to Heero's face, then held his right hand with both of his and entwined their fingers, placing kisses on every finger, joint, and crease of skin.

He fell asleep with his face pressed into the junction of Heero's neck and shoulder, their hands still entwined.

* * *

Solo smoothed his tattered coat and puffed nervously on his pipe as he walked up the dirt path to the Castle entrance.

News had traveled so fast it was almost impossible to not have heard that the crowned prince, the kingdom's only savior, had been assassinated. He couldn't believe his ears when he had heard two off duty guards talking about it as he tried to lift their money purses.

The thought that his young friend, and his gang's beloved member could have been killed mere days before he took the throne and delivered them out of the clutches of their greedy king was heartbreaking. He remembered heading back to the church and staring around at his gang, they smiled and joked, passed out their stolen goods, and were happy. He didn't savor the thought of having to tell them that Duo was gone.

But first, he decided, he was going to pay his respects to his friend. He knew that Duo's squire knew about the gang and his nightly adventures so he prayed Quatre would be able to keep the guards from throwing him in the dungeon for simply knocking on the door.

Hilde had simply nodded sadly when he asked her to help him look presentable. She had been so excited about telling Duo that she and Solo were expecting, but now, as she had helped Solo comb out his wild hair, she could barely stop her self from weeping. Solo had told her what he had overheard and she didn't want to believe it.

Solo stepped up to the giant gate and looked from one stone still guard to the other. Clearing his throat he asked, "May I speak with Quatre Winner, please?"

The guard continued to stare into space, refusing to break his stance to even acknowledge the commoner before him.

Frowning, Solo looked from one guard to the other then puffed on his pipe in thought. He might as well just have asked the gate to shine his shoes for all the help those two bozos were.

Turning around, knowing that the guards wouldn't move a single muscle unless he presented a true threat he walked back down the path till he was out of site then slipped into the forest and made his way to the side. He would jump the castle wall then figure out how to get to the Winner once he was inside.

Coming to the wall, Solo looked left and right before he darted out and crawled up the wall like a rat. Landing on the other side he straightened up and smoothed his fraying lapels before looking around and walking toward the castle doors on the first floor, looking for all the world like he belonged there.

Making his way into the castle it self, Solo discovered he was in the kitchens. Looking around, there was barely anybody in them just a pretty blond maid with sky blue eyes and a bored expression on her face.

Walking up to her he taped her on the shoulder making her jump in surprise. "Excuse me," he said in all politeness, "but can you tell me where Quatre Winner is?"

"Who are you?" Relena asked looking him up and down wearily. "I don't remember hearing about a new servant being hired."

"That's because I'm not." Solo crossed his arms and puffed on his corn cob pipe sending a trail of smoke up. "I'm here to pay my respects for the prince."

Relena tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Oh but he's not dead."

Solo frowned. "Miss-"

"Relena," she supplied with out him asking.

"Relena, I don't know where you get your information, but it's all over town that the crowned prince was assassinated last night." He looked at her like she was crazy.

She blinked then suddenly giggled. "Is it really all over Peacemillion?"

Eyeing her wearily, he nodded, "Yeah, now can you point me in the direction of Quatre Winner?"

"Sure thing!" She chirped her mood much more cheery now that she knew she would be earning every single gold coin Quatre had promised her. "But you should probably know, Mister…"

"Solo, just Solo." Tapping his pipe in the palm of his hand he reached into his coat and pulled out more stolen tobacco, pressing it into the cob bowl.

"You should know, Mister Solo, just Solo that the Prince isn't really dead." Relena watch his actions in fascination.

He paused just before the lit match touched the dry tobacco and stared at her. "What?"

"Prince David isn't dead." She smiled helpfully. "Quatre told me to pretend I had found his dead body and if I was convincing Prince David himself would pay me one hundred gold coins!" Clapping her hands in happiness, she bounced a little in her seat.

Solo threw the match on the ground jammed his pipe in his mouth and growled, "That son of a bitch!"

"That's not nice," Relena frowned. "The queen really isn't that bad."

Looking at her like she had grown a third arm, Solo shook his head and turned to race out of the kitchen, determined to get to the bottom this monumental mix up.

"Wait Mister Solo!" Relena shouted after him. "Quatre's in the infirmary! Up the stairs to the right!"

Solo waved a hand at her and took the stairs two at a time. He was going to kick some princely ass for making him worry like that.

* * *

Heero knew he was dreaming, but he didn't want to ruin it and wake up. This was one of his favorite memories.

He could feel the cool grass underneath his back and Duo's heartbeat against his rib cage as his lover snuggled against him. They were naked as the day they were born, just coming down from an orgasmic high and simply enjoying each other's presence.

Stroking his hands lazily along Duo's sweat slicked skin he stared up at the star covered sky and inhaled the slight smell of lavender that always clung to his beautiful lover.

Duo hummed in pleasure and slid an arm to wrap loosely around his chest, nuzzling deeper into Heero's shoulder, his eyelashes tickling Heero's skin. _"I wish we could stay like this forever."_

Chuckling, Heero brushed his fingers up Duo's spine. _"And forget about our little plot of land with our little cottage made for two?"_

"_No,"_ Duo grinned, _"We still get the land and the cottage."_

"_Then we wouldn't be staying exactly like this." _He feathered a kiss against Duo's forehead encouraging him to lift his head and return the kiss with his lips.

Humming in pleasure again and running his tongue over his plump lips, tasting Heero, Duo stroking his hands along his broad chest. _"I meant like this; together, forever."_

His breath caught in his throat. _"You want to be with me forever?"_

Laughing brightly and lovingly, Duo licked Heero's nose playfully. _"Of course, silly!"_ Then calming and smiling tenderly down at him, said, _"I wouldn't be able to live without you now that you're so far in my heart it beats for two."_

Placing his hands on either side of Duo's face, Heero fought the tightness in his throat and pulled his lover down to move their lips together passionately and tenderly. _"Forever."_ He whispered hoarsely, feathering kisses over Duo's face. _"I'll give you forever. I promise."_

Groaning deep in his throat Heero blinked up at an unfamiliar ceiling half expecting to see a black sky decorated in bright stars. His chest hurt something fierce and his throat felt dry and gritty. The memories came back to him in disjointed shots making his head hurt even more than his chest.

He tried to lift his right hand and rub at his blurry eyes, but found it held in place by two desperately clutching and warmly familiar hands. This new awareness brought the warmth draped over his right shoulder to his attention and the faint smell of lavender to his nose.

Turning his head ever so slightly he saw that loved and familiar braid trialing over his skin and that heart wrenchingly beautiful face of his beloved still in sleep. He lifted his left hand and tenderly brushed bangs away from his lover's forehead, ignoring the ache the movement caused in his chest. Tracing the deep worry line creasing between his golden brown brows, Heero sharply inhaled a relieved and thankful breath.

He didn't remember much after Dekim's sword plunged into his chest, but he did remember Duo's anguished face, his tear filled eyes, and his desperately pleading voice. Sending a prayer thanking God for letting him stay with his beloved, he stroked his fingers lovingly down Duo's cheek, savoring the soft skin and tracing the tear tracks.

Duo's frown deepened and he pried his eyes open to the feeling of gentle fingers moving tenderly over his skin. He recognized those reverent touches. His heart began to pound as he tilted his head up, his eyes meeting the deep blue of his beloved lover.

"Heero." He breathed as he felt yet another wave of tears threaten to pour down his cheeks.

Smiling at his beautiful lover, Heero croaked, "Hey Duo."

A laugh burst out of Duo's throat as he untangled their hands and grabbed Heero's face to rain kisses over his skin like a storm. "You're alive! You're awake! Oh thank God!" Then pulling back he scowled angrily. "Don't you ever fucking do that to me again, you asshole! I almost lost you."

Smiling in amusement Heero placed his hands over Duo's and brought one to his mouth to place a tender kiss to the palm of his hand. "I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Scare me?" Duo's voice chocked even as he savored the feel of Heero's warm lips brushing up his wrist. "I thought you had died, Heero. Please, don't make light of this."

Seeing his lover close to tears Heero tugged until Duo relented and climbed onto the tiny cot with him, curling up to his side, head pillowed on his shoulder and fresh tears trickling down to splash on his bare skin. "I'm so sorry love. I won't ever leave you, I promise."

"You can't promise that." Duo turned his face into Heero's now tear dampened skin, inhaling his earthy scent. "God! I hope I never have to see you like that again."

Heero placed a kiss on Duo's brow, hair, the bridge of his nose, his damp eyelids. "I know I can't promise that Duo, but I can promise to always be with you."

"You can't promise that either." Duo pointed out as he peppered kisses on Heero's shoulder and neck.

"Yes I can." Heero corrected lifting Duo's face toward his, looking deep into his tear filled eyes. "No matter where I am, if I die before you or after you, you will always be on my mind and in my heart." He kissed Duo's slightly parted lips tenderly. "As I will be in yours."

A whimpering sob escaped Duo's hold as he nodded and pressed their lips together desperately. "I love you Heero. More than seems possible."

Heero returned the kiss, twining their tongues together and tasting Duo. "I love you, Duo. With my whole soul." They chuckled softly together, before Duo pulled away.

Sitting up Duo looked down at Heero's bandaged chest with a slight frown. "Are you in pain? Do I need to get Doctor Sally to come examine you?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Heero tried to hide his grimace of pain as his wound gave a wave of pain. "I'm fine. Just come back and let me hold you for a while." He tugged on Duo's hand and hoped he hadn't noticed.

A deep frown creased Duo's brow. "I saw that grimace, Heero." He stood up. "I'm going to get Sally."

"No!" Heero jerked Duo back to the bed with more strength than Duo thought he had. "Please, just stay for a little bit longer."

Duo collapsed back onto the tiny bed and combed his fingers through Heero's messy unwashed hair. "Love, you need to have Sally make sure you're healing alright. You freakin' had a sword shoved through your chest!" He exclaimed. "You can't just act like you had a paper cut or ant bite."

"I know that." Heero pouted petulantly. "I just really don't like all the poking and prodding Doctors do." He didn't mention that he avoided going to see doctors, even when he had fallen out of a widow at the top of a four story mansion, because they made him nervous.

But he didn't have to because Duo sighed and gave him a reassuring smile. "It'll be alright, Heero. I'll be right here the whole time. I promise."

Setting his brow in a frown, Heero let his head fall back to the rock like pillow and sighed in resignation. "Fine. Go get the good Doctor."

"Aw." Duo smirked. "You'll like Sally."

"Right." Heero grumbled and resigned himself to a few minutes of torture.

* * *

Solo reached the top of the stairs and started down the hall toward where he assumed the infirmary was, still seething.

"Goddamned blue blood fucking with people…" He grumbled under his breath not taking any notice of his surroundings and when he tried to walk passed the two sentries stationed at the entrance to the infirmary he was thrown against the wall so hard he saw stars.

"Jesus Christ in Heaven!" Solo waited till the hall stopped spinning before he realized his trusty pipe had fallen from his mouth and rolled away across the marble floor, feeling strangely naked without it he decided to deal with that later seeing as how there was a thoroughly pissed off Oriental man staring him down with a sword at his throat.

"No one passes here." Wufei's voice was deep and menacing. Just the look of this scraggly riffraff had his back up and his crest spiked, if he had a crest that is.

Zecks stared at the scene in wide eyed amazement and a sudden surge of lust. Wufei had moved so fast he had barely seen him. My, my, wasn't he a lucky man. "Wufei, I don't think we should just go throwing people against walls without a reason."

The stressed body guard flicked his glance toward his lover then back to the nervous looking blond man in front of him. "I'm not going to take any chances, Zecks. Not after the morning I've had."

Nodding his head, "That's understandable," Zecks took a step toward the pair and looked the pinned man up and down, noting his less than regal attire, "But perhaps we should simply ask him what he wants before we slit his throat, hmm?"

Solo swallowed thickly, his palms suddenly sweating. Out of all the guards and lawmen he'd dodged and out witted, this angry Oriental man had him up against a wall with a very sharp blade at his throat and murder in his eyes. Needless to say, Solo didn't think any less of him self for being just a wee might scared.

"Wufei regarded his suddenly flushed and sweating prisoner. "Perhaps." He conceded, but continued to hold him pinned to the wall.

Smiling in all pleasantness as if there wasn't a man's life at stake, Zecks folded his hands behind his back and gave the mystery man a jaunty head nod. "I am Zecks Marquise, advisor to the throne. This wondrously handsome man," he gestured to Wufei, "Is the Crowned Prince's body guard, Wufei Chang. How may we help you?"

Swallowing again, Solo opened his mouth emitting a croak before he cleared it and tried again. "Pleased to meet you." He said with a mocking lilt. "My name is Solo and I'm here to see Quatre Winner."

"Oh!" Zecks exclaimed brightly. "That's such a wonderful coincidence." He looked over his shoulder and bellowed in a reverberatingly deep voice, "Quatre! You have a visitor!"

In little to no time at all Quatre's head popped into the hall and frowned in confusion and curiosity at the scene before him.

"Our new friend, Solo, was looking for you." Zecks supplied.

Quatre's eyes grew wide and he stepped fully into the hall. "You're Solo? What are you doing here?"

Solo tried to shift away, but was brought up short when Wufei growled. "Yeah. I heard Duo got himself assassinated then a pretty blond thing in the kitchens said he paid her to spread that rumor around." He scowled furiously despite the blade at his throat. "Now I got a bone to pick with that brat! He can't just go getting people choked up like that!"

Quatre smirked, he was just like Duo had always described him. "Oh, is that all?" He gestured at Wufei amusedly. "Let him go Wufei. I believe David will like to see you, Solo."

Grumbling and reluctantly letting Solo right himself and step away from the wall to retrieve his wayward pipe, Wufei sheathed his sword and retreated to Zecks' side.

"Thanks, Mr. Winner, for pulling the pit-bull off me. I think I would like very much to speak with the royal pain in the ass." Solo smirked at a now spitting angry Wufei and repacked his pipe.

Stepping to the side and gesturing for Solo to precede him into the infirmary, Quatre chuckled. "It was my pleasure, but you will have to wait until David comes out. He's sitting with Heero right now."

"Traveler? What happened to him?" Solo questioned with a small frown as he tipped his pipe in place of a hat to the older woman sitting in the row of chairs.

"Well," Quatre stated lightly, "He was impaled on a dull ornamental sword and nearly died in David's arms."

Spinning around to look at Quatre in shock again, Solo exclaimed, "You're shitting me."

Chuckling again with a small blush in his cheeks as Trowa came to stand next to him placing a hand on his back, Quatre smiled at the astounded street urchin, "Um… I shit you not?"

Plopping down in the chair next to the pretty regal looking lady smiling slightly at the scene, Solo blew out a breath displacing his bangs and whipped an exaggeratedly exhausted hand down his face. "Well damn. Is he alive?"

At Quatre's nod, Solo shook his head in amazement. "Looks like Duo's going to have one hell of a story to tell the gang, now."

Gertrude watched with little amusement and most confusion. She watched the handsome commoner in curiosity and listened to every thing he and the others were saying with little comprehension. "Duo?" She looked at Quatre with a frown on her face.

"When David was a young boy he snuck out of the castle and started running with a gang in Peacemillion." Quatre explained to the astounded and horrified queen.

"He could have been hurt! Or killed!" Gertrude exclaimed with a shocked hand to her mouth.

Quatre squeezed Trowa's hand as he began to open his mouth and point out that she hadn't exactly invested enough in Duo's welfare to be appalled this late in the game. His little cousin may have forgiven her for her negligence, but Trowa could hold a grudge, for a very long time.

"Damn near was!" Solo laughed, not exactly helping the queen's horrification. "I saved the little bugger from getting his hands chopped when he was caught with his mouth full of apple he didn't pay for. Poor kid nearly wet his pants."

"Yes! Well anyway," Quatre cut in with an amused grin. "The gang adopted him and gave him a street name, Duo."

"For the two worlds he lives in." Solo supplied suddenly wistful. "No one in the gang knows he's a prince, just me and Hilde now. But they thought he had the face of prince and the boy certainly had the heart of street rat like the rest of us." He smirked ruefully at the weary queen. "We named him Duo, for the sheer irony and juxtaposition of it. Yes I know what it means." He growled at a grinning Quatre.

He raised his hands in surrender and chuckled, then returned to his explanation. "So David had a street name, a reprieve from castle life, and an escape from Dekim. He's been sneaking out two or three times a week ever since."

Gertrude looked down at her hands then frowned in sadness. "Was Dekim really that horrible to him?"

This time Trowa didn't hold back despite the almost painful hold Quatre had on his hand. "You have no idea, and you never will. Marrying that murdering bastard was possibly the worst thing you could have ever done."

"He was your father and you speak about him that way?" The queen stared at Trowa in amazement and confusion.

"He wasn't my father." Was all Trowa said before letting go of Quatre and stalking out of the infirmary and out of sight.

Sighing heavily Quatre took a seat next to the queen saying simply, "You don't know a lot of things, Your Highness. I would suggest not asking anymore questions until David can answer them himself."

Gertrude simply looked him, he looked to be forty years old just then and it surprised her. Looking back at the commoner on her other side, she noted that he didn't seem to be affected at all by the fact that he was sitting next to royalty, just puffed on his pipe thoughtfully, lost in his own mind for the time being. Studying her folded hands in her lap, she decided that she better wait till David was able to explain things to her.

* * *

Sally poked and prodded, unwrapped and rewrapped then straightened, slight frown on her brow and turned to a nervous Duo.

"Doesn't look like there should a problem with infection." She started. "The pain will be severe, though, so I suggest you put some of that lavender salve Helen taught you how to make on it. It'll help with the healing and the pain."

Duo nodded, not relinquishing his hold on Heero's hand he had been placing kisses upon throughout the examination. "How do you know I even have some of that old ointment, Sally? It's been quite a few years since she died. Perhaps I've forgotten how to make it."

"Don't play sly with me, David." Sally scolded. "I've lived in this castle long enough to know you've been sneaking the ingredients out of the garden and my own store room to whip it up for those poor street kids."

Startled both he and Heero looked at the woman in surprise. "Does every body know I've been sneaking out?"

"Perhaps not the queen, and certainly not Dekim, but pretty much the whole castle knows." Sally smirked knowingly.

"God!" Duo slammed his head down on the bed in frustration and embarrassment. "I probably could have just waltz out of the castle gates and the guards would have wished me happy stealing!"

"Probably." Sally conceded with a hearty laugh.

"It's alright, love." Heero soothed with an amused smile as he stroked Duo's hair away from his bed planted head. "Hardly anything stays a secret in places such as castles."

"Well, at least you took us all by surprise with your little love affair, David." Sally grinned. "I'm pretty sure you shocked a couple of dark hairs onto Dorothy's head with that one."

She succeeded in getting an uproarious laugh from the prince, then took her leave and let the couple have some privacy.

Duo got over his blushing and climbed onto Heero's cot, leaning his back against the wall helping Heero to lay his head in his lap. The image of Heero's injury was burned into his retina and Duo knew that image would most likely haunt him.

The area had been a sickening color of blue and purple, regardless the stitches stuck out blaringly obvious against his skin, thick and black. They were sewn all the way from the bottom of Heero's sternum to the middle of his stomach and the image made Duo want to latch onto Heero so tight he would be absorbed into him.

Stroking his fingers gently, slowly through Heero's bangs Duo rarely took his eye off of his lover even as his breathing slowed and steadied in relaxation.

It was after several moments of companionable silence that Heero spoke up. "So I guess the little plot of land and the small heard of cattle is out of question."

Chuckling rather sadly, Duo entwined one of his hands with Heero's. "Not exactly. It's just a much bigger plot of land with people instead of cattle."

Heero laughed delicately so as not to cause pain in his chest and pulled Duo's hand to his lips for a tender kiss. "I think I can live with that."

Pausing in his combing, Duo gently nudged Heero's head to face him. "You… You would stay with me in the castle and help me rule my kingdom?"

Heero's brow creased at him in a look that plainly said "are you crazy". "What else would I do?" He asked. "I'm not going anywhere, Duo. You couldn't drag me away with a team of wild horses."

"Not in your condition." Duo scowled playfully and tapped him on the nose then sobered and said, "It's just that it's a lot of responsibility. I don't even know if I want to stay."

"Duo." Heero scolded kindly. "You can't just walk away from it all. Who would be king in your stead?"

"Trowa." Duo supplied helpfully.

Heero struggled to sit up, but Duo pushed him gently back down and kept a restraining hand on his chest to hold him. "You can't just saddle Trowa with that!" Heero exclaimed upset now.

Frowning down at his struggling lover, Duo stated, "I wasn't planning on it, love. I just… sometimes I just wish I was really just a street rat or a kitchen boy. That I didn't have to look after thousands of people single handedly." His voice was quiet and saddened.

"You're not alone." Heero said just as quietly. "I'm here and Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei." He clasped the hand on his chest and began stroking soothingly between fingers and over skin. "You aren't alone in this. Not with me here."

Smiling tenderly down at his determined lover Duo bent down and kissed him slow and deep. "Thank you, Heero. That means a lot to me." They continued to kiss until a nervous throat cleared from the door way.

"I don't want to interrupt, David, but you have a visitor." Quatre smiled kindly at his friend and his lover, at the scene they made.

Straightening up with an indulgent lick over Heero's flushed lips, Duo frowned in curiosity at his friend. "Who is it?"

"Solo." Quatre supplied then laughed at the surprised and delighted look Duo had on his face.

"Bring him in!" Duo nearly shouted. "How the fuck did he get in here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Solo smirked at as he practically bowled Quatre over in his hast to get into the room.

Duo gently scooted out from under Heero as his lover smirked and watched as no sooner did Duo reach his old friend did Solo grab the kid in a head lock and rub his knuckles violently on top of his head.

"You son of a bitch!" Solo laughed as Duo fought valiantly and fruitlessly to get out of his hold.

"What did I do?!" Duo whined childishly as he pulled and tugged uselessly at Solo's restraining arm.

"Can you guess what I heard in town this morning while minding my own business?" Solo asked with a definite grin on his face as he waved in greeting to a chuckling Heero. "I heard you got yourself assassinated."

"Oh. That." Duo stopped struggling and Solo let him go.

"'Oh. That.'? What is that supposed to mean?" The older street rat growled from around his pipe.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he retreated back to Heero's side and sat on the cot, Heero's arm wrapping around his waist. "Well you see. My uncle hired Heero to assassinate me so that he could keep the throne for good."

Sighing heavily Solo grabbed the chair next to Heero's bed and flopped down in it, figuring he might as well be comfortable for the duration of what promised to be a thoroughly long, complicated, and amusing story.

Sure enough by the end of it Solo didn't know whether to laugh or get up and chop the already dead king into little bits and pieces. "That's quite the story." He chose to say instead.

"Tell me about it." Duo chuckled and smiled at Heero whose eyes were drooping in exhaustion.

Solo looked from the assassin to Duo then stood up and needlessly smoothed down his coat. "Well, since the both of you look like shit, I'll take my leave."

"You don't have to go." Duo protested earnestly. He wanted to show his friend around the castle and talk to him about an arrangement for the gang.

"You came all the way, Solo. You might as well stay for awhile." Heero added though he felt like he couldn't keep his eyes open for another moment.

"Nah." Solo stated with a smirk. "Just came to pay my respects to a dead friend and tell him the good news."

Duo ignored the dead remark and instead zeroed in on the news bit. "Good news? What good news?"

Breaking into an honest to goodness bright shining smile, Solo swelled with pride. "Hilde's expecting. We're going to have a baby."

Duo's mouth dropped open then he launched himself at his friend, Solo just barely managing to catch him before he knocked them both to the marble floor.

Solo's pipe went flying again and Duo wrapped his legs around his friend's waist whooping like a Scottish warrior on the war path. "That's wonderful! I can't believe it! I'm going to be an uncle!"

Laughing at his lover's mirth Heero pointed out, "Duo, love, I think you're suffocating Solo."

Looking down at his captive, Duo jumped off of the father to be but couldn't help himself from shaking the living daylights out of him. "When did this happen? How far along is she?" Then suddenly his ecstatic smile soured. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

The sudden one-eighty took the street wizened man by surprise. "What?"

"You live on the streets, Solo! You can't raise a baby on the streets!" Duo was shaking his friend in anger now.

"Duo! You're hurting him, love." Heero admonished and succeeded in stopping Duo's violence but not his temper.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Duo glared at his friend with his hands fisted on his hips.

Solo stared at him in bafflement. "Um… it was an accident?"

Sniffing, Duo grumbled, "Accident indeed."

Scuffing a beaten and weathered boot on the floor, Solo looked down in embarrassment. "Actually Duo, we were going to ask you if you would take the baby in once it's born and raise it in proper society. Give it a good life, you know."

Thoroughly shocked by this, Duo took a step back. "Solo…"

"I know it's a lot to ask." Solo preempted. "But Hilde and I can't-… we don't have the means to give it everything we want to be able to. All I'm asking is that you think about it." Then he looked up at his young friend and gave him a small smile. "Either way, whatever you decide, we are still going to ask you to be its godfather."

Placing a hand on his wildly beating heart, Duo could feel his throat start to tighten. "Solo that's… I'd be honored."

"Good." Solo nodded and smiled at him. "Just think about it you know, about the taking in bit. I've got to get back to the gang and tell them you aren't worm food yet."

Returning the smile and light chuckle Duo grabbed his friend in a hard hug and whispered, "Congratulations, Solo and give my love to Hilde."

"Thank you, I will." Pulling away Solo picked up his pipe and waved at Heero. "Take care of yourself, Traveler, and don't let this bozo run you ragged."

"I won't," Heero grinned back at him. "Congratulations."

Nodding, Solo stepped out of the infirmary and began the journey back to Peacemillion.

A tired sigh worthy of Atlas escaped Duo's lips as he collapsed gently on Heero's cot.

Heero wrapped his arms around him and tucked his head underneath his chin. "That was some news, huh?"

"Yeah." Duo closed his suddenly burning tired eyes and burrowed deeper against his lover's side, carful of his injury.

"What do you think you want to do?" Heero asked gently as he relaxed and stroked comfortingly up and down Duo's back.

Shaking his head, Duo inhaled Heero's comforting scent. "I don't know. I just don't know."

Closing his own eyes and feeling his body already shutting down from the long hours of seemingly continuous upheavals and near death exhaustions Heero murmured against Duo's lavender scented hair, "Just rest now, love, think about it later."

"Mm." Duo agreed already half asleep, he just barely mumbled, "Sound's good," before he and Heero were swept away in badly needed and blissfully restful sleep.

* * *

TBC...


	8. Vinni, Viddi, Vicci

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff

summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

Chapter 08: Vinni, Viddi, Vicci

* * *

Duo sighed as he opened the door to his uncle's study.

It had been two days since that eventful meeting in the advisors' meeting room. Heero was still stuck in the infirmary and the stitches in Duo's arm weren't ready to be taken out yet. Sally had begged, ordered, and guilt tripped him into staying the night in the infirmary, not that she really had to try that hard, so that she could keep an eye on both him and Heero at the same time.

Needless to say she disapproved of them pushing to cots together but didn't protest when she realized that they had both passed out the moment they were comfortable. They were both exhausted beyond comprehension. Injuries, heartbreaks, reunions, revelations and all the stress in the world could make a person tired like that.

Heero had almost succeeded in preventing Duo from getting up that morning, with his pouty lips, pleading eyes, and extremely strong embrace, but eventually Duo knew his duty wouldn't go away and Heero knew it too. As much as it tore him up to leave his lover after nearly losing him, Duo kissed him gently on the lips and left the infirmary to continue on with the necessary jobs before he could be crowned.

The desk in front of the window looked so innocent with its deep cherry color and its neat quills and parchments. Duo shuddered. He was going to go through everything his uncle had acquired for the passed thirteen years of his temporary reign and Duo had no doubts that some of the things he was going to find would repulse him beyond belief.

Taking the seat that countless kings had taken before him, Duo started his search with the top right hand drawer, smiling when he recognized the work of his lover's abnormal strength.

It squealed in protest as Duo pulled it open only to find an array of jewel incrusted letter openers, quill whittlers, and the royal wax stamp. Shrugging, Duo moved to the top middle draw.

Now this drawer produced several rather interesting findings.

A roll of parchment revealed an enormous list of battalions and troops poised at strategic points around the Sanq border poised for attack on the neighboring kingdoms. Duo sighed in relief. He had watched the fastest messengers in the kingdom ride out that morning with notarized letters informing of the change in power and a brief summary of the events leading to it. That situation was taken care of, thank God. The dates next to the deployment locations were all frighteningly close and Duo hoped the messengers made it all the way around the kingdom before the first attack was launched.

Unrolling another thick roll of parchment, Duo's eyes almost bugged out of his head. It read of a number of orders Dekim had placed with far off kingdoms for an enormous amount of enormously expensive luxuries.

Among the list were twenty African harem women, thirty half ton bales of Oriental silk in various colors, a cargo ship filled with the most sought after in goods from the Caribbean, Spanish, French, and Portuguese colonies: rum, bananas, chocolate, gold, turquoise, sterling silver, live barrels of crab and lobster among other just as unbelievable things. Duo kept reading growing deeper in despair with every page; bull and heifer elephants from the Indies, a snow tiger from the Siberian, a hundred bales of Egyptian cotton, the list went on and on.

He felt like crying. There was no way that the kingdom had enough to pay for even half of this. Dekim was planning on literally starving Duo's people so he could be living like a God in a castle that wasn't his on a throne that wasn't meant for him.

Slamming the roll of orders down on the desk top, Duo rummages through the drawers with shaky hands until he found a ream of blank parchment. Wasting no time he drafted off a separate letter for every kingdom Dekim had ordered from explaining the situation and offering an apology, praying it would be enough to stave off their anger and inconvenience.

Shouting almost desperately for Quatre, Duo almost threw the notarized letters at the flustered blond. "Quatre I need these sent now!"

"But David-" Quatre almost protested

"No!" Duo snapped. "They must be on the next ships out of the harbor by tomorrow morning! Get them there or so help me, the whole kingdom will be doomed."

Gasping, Quatre nodded and ran down the hall like a bat out of Hell.

Wiping a hand down his sweating face Duo tried not to collapse in the door way. The need to complete his task and the need to curl into the infirmary cot and cry in the arms of his lover warred inside Duo. Eventually he got a hold of himself and walked reluctantly back over to the desk.

Pulling out the remaining drawers Duo found records of the various wars Dekim had waged on the neighboring kingdoms, consensus of the pour and the rich (barely any rich), records of the treasury, and several tomes of journals written by both Duo's father and Dekim himself.

Duo's brow creased in a frown and he lifted the oldest journal with the starting date and ending date writing in neat swirling script across the front. He flipped to the first page, it read in the same neat elegant hand, _King James Theodore Maxwell_ _of Sanq Kingdom_.

His breath caught. This was written by his father. He leaned back in his seat, turned the page and began to read.

_Sunday, June 21,_

_I have been crowned King of Sanq and I fear that I have no earthly idea how to run a kingdom. _

_After Father's death I was taught by the best tutors, loved unconditionally by my mother, and given every luxury and freedom imaginable, but today, right now, I'm quivering inside. _

_I'm frightened, Father. Frightened I will let you down and fail in the hope that I will be even half the king you were._

Duo wiped a tear from his cheek and held the opened journal close to his chest. He had very few memories of his father; quick impressions of laughter, the fuzzy picture of a handsome smiling face, and the memory of the smell of sunshine and fresh hay. He father had loved the stables and spent every minute he could with the horses and on the back of a horse in the sunshine.

Smiling lightly to himself, Duo opened his eyes, disappointed that he wasn't still sitting in front of his father on the back of his favorite horse safe in his arms.

Shaking his head he turned back to the journal and continued to read through four more volumes of his father's hopes, dreams, fears, life. He read about his parents' wedding day, how happy and in love his father was. He read about the excitement his father had felt on the day of his birth. Then he read about his father's sudden correspondence from his estranged half brother asking urgently for help.

Frowning Duo sat up and read with growing dread deep in his chest.

_I received an urgent letter from Dekim this morning. He tells me his lands are in dire straights. He has requested I visit him and help him work on a solution to whatever problem he has found himself in. _

_I must confess, though, that the whole affair has me suspicious. Dekim has never made it a secret of how much he resented my being chosen as the heir to the throne when he was the older of us. I have often wondered of it myself, except that when I take into account the gossip of the court and what my father had told me of Dekim's mother, Father's first wife, that Dekim had taken after her more than was desired. _

_Like her, Dekim is devious and quick to jealousy. We didn't get along much in childhood, but I cannot simply stand by when he, a brother, is in need of my help. If I travel to his lands I will have to be on my guard, this might be a ploy of some sort to request an extra allowance than what he already receives from the treasury. _

_Should I choose to travel to his lands and investigate his claims, then I would have to leave Gertrude and David and I, though I feel guilty in it, am more reluctant to leave them then my kingdom. Perhaps I have grown too much accustomed to having my own way…_

Duo's hands shook so much he couldn't continue reading. A ploy to request money… devious and jealous… resented not being chosen as heir…

Flipping quickly through the rest of the pages of the journal Duo discovered that was the last entry made. Almost frantic he searched the remaining journals on the desk top, they were all written by Dekim.

"Oh God. Oh God!" Duo clutched at his bangs and tugged hard. Could it be possible that his father had not simply died in his duty to his kingdom? Could it be that Dekim…

Snatching up the first of Dekim's journals Duo read with an almost desperate urgency.

_Tuesday, November 14_

_I have finally succeeded. I am now king of Sanq, but I have found an obstacle in my way. James had birthed a son. Not only that but the child is clever, smart, and observant; he will be a problem that is obvious. _

_All the planning and waiting I have had to endure to reach this could possibly be for nothing if that little brat should turn out to be smart enough to rule on his eighteenth birthday. It could all be for naught. _

_I had thought is would all be finished when I had gotten word that the king's guard I had paid off had accomplished murdering that wretched brother of mine. Five long years of planning and I finally get so close, murdering my brother, marrying his widow, and assuming the throne in his stead only to find that he had boy child for an heir…_

Duo sat staring at the words without truly comprehending them. Dekim had murdered his father.

Dekim murdered his own brother, perhaps the greatest king to rule, and Duo's beloved father just to get to the throne. The room began to spin and Duo thought he would surely fall from his seat until a pair strong arms and a startled voice cut through his frazzled mind.

"Duo!" Trowa shook his stunned cousin. "Duo, snap out of it!"

"Tro?" Duo blinked then, eyes widening, he clutched tightly to his cousin's shirt front. "He killed him, Trowa! That bastard fucking killed him!"

"Who, Duo?" He had never seen his cousin like this before, it was scaring him. "What are you talking about?"

"Dekim!" Duo shouted in frustration and shock. "Dekim killed my father! He murdered my father so that he could get the throne."

Trowa stared at his cousin trying to comprehend what he was saying. His gaze flitted over to the many journals spread over the desk then flicked back to his pale and furious cousin. "Fuck."

"Exactly!" Letting go of Trowa's shirt he picked up the journal that had shifted everything he knew. "Dekim gloated, Tro. He talked of my father's death as if he were simply swatting at a fly."

"God, I'm so sorry Duo." Trowa sat on the desk and wrapped his still stunned cousin up into his arms, offering comfort.

"My dad!" Duo suddenly broke into sobs. "He loved me and that bastard killed him."

Fighting back tears of his own Trowa nodded and rubbed Duo's back. He may not have very many memories of James, but what he did have were warm and kind. "Duo, I have something to tell you." It was time.

Taking calming breaths Duo pulled back and wiped at his damp face before looking expectantly at his cousin, wondering what it could possibly be. "You going to ask Quat to marry you?" He joked weakly.

Smiling lightly, Trowa shook his head. "Not quite yet." Then he sighed and glanced down at his hands. "What I have to tell you, I fear, will present quite the problem."

Frowning, Duo patted his friend's knee. "It's alright, Tro. Go ahead. We'll sort it out, whatever it is."

Feeling marginally more assured Trowa took a deep breath before plowing on. "I visited my mother in Paris, last summer."

Nodding, Duo remembered it. He had wanted to accompany him and visit his favorite aunt but was prevented by his studies.

"She told me she had something to confess." Trowa looked up and met his cousin's confused eyes. "She told me that Dekim was not my father."

Blinking, Duo smiled. "That's great! You hated that bastard anyway."

"That's not all." Trowa confessed, affectively quieting his cousin. "When I asked her who my father truly was she told me of her dislike for Dekim and her parents forcing her to go through with the marriage. Upset and afraid for her future, she told me that she ran to one of the guests the night before the wedding seeking a shoulder to cry on and someone to confide in, but ended up having a single night of passion with him instead."

"Okay," Duo hedged. "Are you going to tell you're really the Duke of Earl or something?"

"Or something." Trowa continued on. "She married Dekim before your father was crowned king and by laws of etiquette, James was required to attend the marriage." Trowa took a deep breath. "My mother had one last night of passion with your father, Duo. James was my real father."

Duo sat in silence and simply stared at his cousin… brother, not saying a word.

"Duo?" Trowa asked uncertainly. "I know this is a major surprise and I understand if you want to send me away or station me at the edges of the kingdom, but I had to-"

His sudden and uncharacteristic rambling was silenced with Duo's fingers pressed to his lips. "You're telling me," Duo said, "that you're my brother. That you've known this for a whole year and haven't breathed a single syllable of it to me."

Trowa nodded dejectedly. He was hoping Duo would have taken it better than this.

A surprising smile bloomed on Duo's face shocking Trowa's eyes wide. "I have a brother!" Duo shouted and jumped out of the chair and scooped Trowa up with surprising strength.

Spinning his startled brother around Duo dropped this taller man on his feet and scowled mockingly at him. "You asshole. You could have told me!"

"I-I… What?" Trowa had never found him self speechless, regardless of how little he normally spoke, but he had been fully prepared to be sent away as a threat to the throne.

"Tro-bro!" Duo smiled. "You should have told me! This is great! I've always wanted a brother!"

It was than that Trowa's face broke into a stunning smile and he clutched at Duo's shoulders. "You mean you're not mad? You're not going to exile me?"

"Fuck no!" Duo frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Of course. Trowa should have realized that this was no ordinary royal. This was his crazy and infinitely surprising little brother. "Never mind. You really want me as your brother?"

Clapping a hand on Trowa's shoulder, Duo gave him a bright grin. "Defiantly! Now I don't have to be king." Trowa immediately turned pale and began to sweat. "I'm kidding!" Duo shouted with a laugh. "Jeez, Tro calm down, I was only kidding."

"That's not funny." Trowa scowled at his still laughing brother while he pulled at his collar trying to get it to stop choking him.

A delicate ahem startled them both. Turning toward the entrance of the study, the brothers saw a nervous looking Gertrude standing there unsure of her self. "Am I interrupting something?"

Trowa was about to open his mouth and say yes, but Duo elbowed him before he could. "No, come on in."

Gertrude stepped inside and averted her eyes from the angry glare Trowa was directing at her.

Duo elbowed him in the ribs again and scowled at him. "Tro, could you leave us alone please?"

Sighing and huffing in frustration Trowa bit back his refusal. "Yeah, don't forget lunch before the meeting with the advisors."

"Of course not, bro. Now beat it." Duo waited until his newly discovered brother was out of the study before he turned his full attention back on his mother. "How may I help you?"

Gertrude watched as her son sat back down at the desk her beloved late husband used before his sudden death and Dekim, her recently dead husband, before he was killed trying kill David.

"Quatre told me that I should come and speak with you about the things that have been going on since I married Dekim."

Duo shuffled all the diaries into two stacks: Dekim's and James'. "Yes he told me." Gesturing to the two seats on the opposite side of the desk, he invited, "Take a seat."

After situating herself comfortably and watching Duo continue to open drawers and pull different things out, she mustered up the courage she so obviously lacked. "David, I realized that I have spent the last thirteen years with blinders on. What exactly has Dekim been doing?"

"Beside's plotting my assassination, murdering my father, and attempting to spend my kingdom into irreparable debt?" Duo looked at her with a blank, but wholly adult face, making her feel terribly ignorant.

"What?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Dekim, before he took the thrown, paid a guard in my father's party to murder him while on his way to Dekim's lands." Duo took little satisfaction in seeing Gertrude turn pale.

Her stomach rolled, her body began to sweat and at the same time began to shiver. She didn't notice that Duo was out of his seat until he had an arm around her shoulders and was holding a waste bin in front of her as she began to heave and wretched.

"It's alright." Duo soothed as he rubbed his mother's shaking back through her dry heaves. "You didn't know."

"Oh God!" She gasped as tears began to leak from her burning eyes. "Oh God, James."

Duo reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He handed it to Gertrude before he walked to the door and shouted for a servant to take the bin away.

Returning to his mother's side he pulled the other chair close and continued to rub her back comfortingly. Despite how indifferent he felt toward her, she had been there when Heero was teetering on the cusp of life and death and despite how he felt about her Gertrude had been deeply in love with James.

"How can you-" Gertrude gasped between sobs, "How can you stand to even look at me?"

"By remembering that you were ignorant." Duo responded, not caring to spare her feelings.

"I-", she gasped in horror, "I let him…"

Closing his eyes and fighting the urge to throw up him self with the images that brought to his mind, Duo said, "You didn't know."

She continued to cry and wallow in misery. Duo patted her on the shoulder than stood up and resumed his seat behind the desk. "Forgive me for not breaking the news to you more gently. I have not had the best of mornings. It was unkind of me."

Gertrude didn't respond, simply blew her nose in the lavender smelling handkerchief and nodded. "Is the kingdom in trouble?"

Duo flipped through another stack of treasury reports. "Not if I can help it. Dekim didn't leave a lot to work with besides an obnoxiously full treasury, a volley of angry neighboring kingdoms, and a list of luxury orders so long I could wipe my ass with it for a year."

Smiling despite her scandalized gasp at her son's turn of phrase, Gertrude asked, "Is there anything I can do to help and make up for my ignorance?"

Looking up at her with a slightly startled expression Duo had to think for a second. Did he really want her privy to all that he was going to have to do in regards to the keeping the kingdom away from poverty and out of war.

A sudden thought hit him and his smile verged on mischievous. "Actually there is." He pulled a sheet of parchment in front of him and began to scribble instructions. "There is a gang of street urchins in Peacemillion. I want you go into the city, find them, and invite them to the castle for my coronation."

Thinking about the instructions while she watched Duo continue to scribble on the parchment, Gertrude asked, "Is this your gang, David?"

He glanced up at her in confusion as he finished writing. "How do you know about that?"

"When your uh… friend Solo came to visit you, Quatre explained to me about your sneaking out of the castle." Gertrude watched him wearily. He now held all the power in the kingdom and if he decided retribution was in order for her invasion of his privacy, he would have no opposition.

Instead he rolled his eyes, folded up the parchment, pulled out another one and began to draft a hasty letter. "I should have known Quarter would spill the beans. Yeah, it's my gang."

He signed at the end of the letter took out the royal wax stamp and passed the royal crest into the hot wax before standing up and handing both the letter and the instructions to Gertrude. "This," he lifted the folded piece of paper, "is a list of the places the gang might be hiding out at and a list of their names. And this," he handed her the sealed letter, "is a letter you must hand to Solo personally. Do not hand it to anybody else but him. Do you understand me?"

"Why must I hand it to him?" Gertrude frowned down at the two pieces of parchment in her hands. She didn't want to go into Peacemillion, had only been through when she was traveling, but she would do it if David asked her. She had to atone for her sins someway.

"Because," Duo explained gravely, "he won't take a single step toward the castle unless he knows I've sent for him."

Gertrude frowned, but didn't comment. Standing she headed toward the door to fulfill her task but turned before she stepped out of the room and glanced back at her very mature and amazing son. "David?"

He glanced up from the papers he had begun to read, waiting for her to continue.

"When you are crowned," she asked with some trepidation, "will you truly send me away?"

Duo didn't respond right away but eventually he looked her in the eye and said simply, "We'll discuss it when we come to it."

Feeling a sinking in her chest Gertrude simply nodded and left to accomplish her task.

* * *

Sitting around the meeting table in the advisors' room there were three empty seats and silence had fallen like a lead weight over the room.

Duo sat picking under his nails as he waited, seemingly unconcerned with the absence of three of the advisors. Of course he knew where they were and that they wouldn't be coming back. That is unless he hired a necromancer, but Duo wasn't likely to do that.

"Your Highness," spoke up a graying old man with wrinkles and a long beard, "where exactly are the other advisors?"

"Probably in Hell by now." Duo answered nonchalantly. If he noticed the uncomfortable and paling faces of his advisors he didn't mention it.

"Who then, Your Highness," asked Dorothy rather annoyed, "are we waiting on?"

Glancing up at her and giving her a flashy mischievous grin, Duo said simply, "The new advisors."

Realizing that she wasn't going to get much more out of him, Dorothy nodded resignedly and sat back in her chair pointedly ignoring the pleased grin Zecks was trying to hide beside her.

The door opened abruptly causing everyone but the prince to jump. "I apologize for my tardiness." Wufei bowed then assumed the empty seat to the left of the prince.

Advisors on both sides of the table turned to each other to whisper hurriedly and confusedly. They were not aware that they were replacing the three traitors and had no idea who the new advisors would be.

Just as they were beginning to get more vocal about their confusion and outrage, the door burst open again and the room fell into a stunned silence.

In stumbled Trowa and Quatre their cheeks flushed and their hair mussed. Duo fought not to burst out laughing but Zecks didn't hold back and practically fell out of his chair by the time Dorothy finally pinched him enough to stop his guffaws.

"Ahem," Quatre cleared his throat with a deep blush inching up his throat. "Sorry we're late. We uh… had some business to attend to."

"I'll say." Muttered Duo to Wufei causing the body guard to roll his eyes and sigh.

"Your Highness." Dorothy fought down her frustration as Quatre and Trowa took the seats on Duo's other side. "May we continue on with the meeting now?"

Clearing his throat, Duo straightened in his seat and tugged almost nervously on his coat. "Sure, yeah. Let's get to it."

Everyone settled in to listen to their prince.

"I went through Dekim's papers this morning and discovered some very interesting things." Duo tiered his fingers in front of his face as he spoke. His nervousness fading as his need to get down to business rose to the surface. "Would any of you like to explain to me how he was able to get approval for an order of luxury items of this size while he was starving my people?" He pulled out the enormous roll of parchment and slammed it down on the table.

Immediately everyone in the room with the exception of Dorothy, Zecks, Quat, Tro and Wufei looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I told you idiots not to approve it." Dorothy muttered under her breath, but Duo heard her.

"What I don't understand is that you did not come to me." Duo went on, giving Dorothy a significant look. "Someone explain it to me."

"With all due respect, Your Highness," said a snooty looking advisor at the end of the table, "you were quite busy enough with your own entertainment to have been bothered."

Raising an eyebrow, Duo studied him. He looked well fed, dressed in the finest of materials available in Sanq, and didn't think much of Duo's authority. "And you're name, Sir."

He stood and bowed his head with a condescending bob. "Sir Allen."

"Well Sir Allen," Duo smirked, "Your property is hereby seized by the kingdom and every belonging in your position donated to the needy including those fancy duds covering your over sized gut. You may leave now."

He gaped. "You cannot do that."

"Mm." Duo tapped a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "Yes I can."

"You have no justification!" Sir Allen exclaimed outraged. "On what grounds are you to take such unfounded measures?"

"On the grounds that you piss me off, I have absolute power, and that you were receiving hand outs from Dekim and therefore will make my life very difficult in the coming future." Duo smiled unkindly and leaned forward menacingly. "Is that enough justification for you?"

"And what proof do you have of those outrageous accusations?" Sir Allen looked around at his fellow advisors for support and found none. They looked on with carefully blank faces.

"Besides that fact that you are dressed more richly than I am, Dekim kept impeccable treasury receipts." He pulled another roll of parchment from his bag and placed it next to the aborted orders. "He had been feeding you a nice little coin bag for the past four years."

Suddenly Sir Allen was aware of the other advisors' unsympathetic scowls centered on him.

"I suggest," Duo smirked, "That you leave before I decide to behead you like your traitorous colleagues." Sir Allen bowed with a sour face then quickly rushed out of the room.

"He going to run?" Wufei asked under his breath.

"Yep." Duo nodded than turned back to business. "If any of you have a problem with what just happened then you can leave with your estates intact." He waited a beat and when no one moved he decided to head to the next matter of business.

"In my searching of Dekim's desk I found a list of Dekim's next attack points in his expansion plans." He shuffled through the papers and separated it from the rest. "I have called off all pending attacks. We need to concentrate on the people we have already before decided to send our soldiers to die in the pursuit of more. Any objections?"

There were none so Duo plowed on. "I also came across both Dekim's and my father's journals. It would seem," he had to pause to gather his still frazzled nerves on the subject, "that Dekim orchestrated my father's murder himself." There was a gasp but not a surprised one. King James' murder had been under suspicion but when Dekim had seized the throne for his temporary reign he had quickly quieted every inquiry.

"And in discovering that, another piece of paramount information was brought to my attention." Duo looked to his left and gave his cousin, _brother_, a knowing grin. "It would seem that King James', my father, had fathered an illegitimate son with the Duchess Barton before he was crowned King."

Now that got several extremely astonished, gaping mouths. Zecks could hardly believe his ears. "Your Highness, you have got to be fucking with us."

"I assure you," Duo smirked, "I am not. Trowa Barton, upon my coronation as king, will then become crowned prince of Sanq."

Dorothy just about fainted. "Sir, that means that Trowa is the heir to the throne and you are not."

"Actually," Trowa stood and addressed the assembly for the first time, "I have relinquished my claim on the throne to David. I have no aspirations to become king unless I absolutely have to."

"Trowa will act in my stead when I am away from the kingdom or incapacitated until another heir can be found." Duo added to ease the panicked advisors.

"But Your Highnesses," the gray bearded man spoke up, "Sir Barton is the heir to the throne in your stead."

Duo regarded the old man with a sad expression. "Trowa has no aspirations to the throne and frankly I don't blame him." Looking back over to the empty seat at the table, Duo's frown deepened. "Ruling a kingdom such as Sanq is a lot of trouble with, so far, little to no reward for any effort."

"Sir." Dorothy looked at the prince with an uncertain expression. "It is clear that Sir Barton will not be taking the throne, the circumstances prevent that, but there is still the matter of an heir when you can no longer sit on the throne."

Sitting back in his seat Duo seemed to regard the top of the meeting table with great concentration. Finally after a long silence he lifted his head and eyed the advisors with determination. "If you all will remember, I had already asked for an audience before the ever living shit hit the fan. It was to discuss something other than my assuming the throne."

He waited till he had their full and curious attention. "I had become aware of Heero Yuy's true identity and had also begun to take steps to ensure our future together at the time I requested the meeting."

"D-Your Highness?" Quatre caught his informal slip but couldn't help his obvious confusion.

"I had arranged this meeting to discuss making a permanent arrangement with Mister Yuy." He held his breath and waited.

Wufei, Quarter and Trowa had all stared at him in a mixture of surprise and happiness. They knew exactly what he was asking, but as for the other ten or so people in the room, they were still lost in confusion.

Dorothy and Zecks had a better idea of what their prince was getting at, but they still had to make absolutely sure it was what they were thinking. "You mean to put him on your guard detail, Your Highness?"

Duo blushed then threw his head back and let out an amazing laugh. "No! Zecks I would have thought you would comprehend at least a little quicker than that."

"I was just trying to clarify, Your Highness. With you all bets are off." Zecks smiled and shared an identically knowing look with Dorothy.

"Please, Your Highness!" Another advisor exclaimed in nervous confusion. "Explain so the rest of us will understand.

Calming his chuckling down, Duo smiled brightly and nearly bounced in his seat at the head of the table. "I know you all aren't as thick as you like to pretend. You know Heero and I are lovers, are in love. Therefore there will be no blood heir because I intend to draw up a binding contract that will be equivalent to marriage."

There was a cacophony of sputtering and exclaiming then one voice panicked above the others. "But surely Sir Barton will have a child in the future you can name as heir!"

Glancing at a suddenly blushing Quatre and an amusedly smirking Trowa, Duo grinned and turned back to the speaker. "Unless God himself steps in, I don't think that's likely to happen."

It took an amazingly short amount of time for the whole room to erupt in abject panic. Shouts and exclamations of despair such as: "There's no heir!", "Our king won't have a queen!", and "I knew I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning!" echoed through the meeting room thoroughly entertaining at least four of its occupants.

Finally Duo was beginning to get a headache from all the squawks and stuck his fingers in his mouth releasing a whistle loud enough to have every old, balding, bellied advisor stopping in mid panic. It was really rather comical but Duo was getting antsy to return to his love who was still locked in the infirmary.

Motioning for every one to sit back down, Duo cleared his throat and hit them with his most charming smile, though he still looked like a fox out for mischief. "Never fear, my good old coots. I, in my infinite wisdom, have already figured out the perfect solution."

"Since when did David get infinite wisdom?" Quatre queried out of the corner of his mouth, making Trowa burst into a chuckle and invoking a stern scowl from Duo.

"It came to my attention yesterday, that two very good friends of mine are about to have a baby. Now," he raised a finger to halt any protest or questions, "I would not be suggesting anything like this if I was not sure that their child would be intelligent and up to the challenge, but even so, the child will taught and schooled as I was and should they wish to refuse the throne their wishes will be heeded."

"My prince," Zecks asked playing the devil's very interested advocate, "do you have any claim on the child? How can you be sure that its parent's will want their child to be your heir? It's not just the throne they will have to take on. It's all of the danger and obligation that goes with it."

"Those are very valid concerns, Zecks." Duo nodded. "They had asked me to take their child in and raise him it the castle, to be its godfather. I fully intend to do both of those things to the fullest extent of my ability regardless of their acceptance of my proposal. Going so far as to take in the whole gang and put them up in the castle; educate them and help them grow until they can stand on their own feet."

Duo ignored the murmurs of surprise when the word gang penetrated all those thick skulls. "I will discuss my proposition with my friends and should they refuse I will simply have to look elsewhere for an heir." Duo was sure there was no shortage of orphaned children that he and Heero could take in, but he would much prefer to give Solo and Hilde's child the throne, it was sure to be an extraordinary child.

Besides, Duo was already marinating scores of ideas on how to help the many abandoned and orphaned children across his kingdom.

Clapping his hands together, Duo smiled winningly at the conceding advisors. "Well, now that that's in the oven, shall we move back to my partnership with Heero?"

"Sir," an advisor pointed out, "the only personal partnership that a king can enter into such as this is with his queen."

"Don't let Heero hear you say that." Trowa mumbled under his breath causing Wufei to bit back an amused chuckle.

"Actually, you are mistaken." Duo smiled proudly. He was going to get what he wanted even if he had to beat some sense into these old geezers. "After I went through Dekim's personal belongings I poured over the Sanq constitution and all of its laws and regulations. Nowhere in all of that did I find a single thing that specified a king had to have a queen at his side. It mentioned 'spouse' quite a lot but never 'queen'. So truly there is no reason why I shouldn't have a partnership with Heero and share my throne with the man I love."

The advisors all looked at one another in silent communication. They questioned the wisdom of tying him self to an assassin that was at one point hired to kill him, but they could only offer their advice and pray that they weren't short one king after the wedding night.

Standing up, Dorothy addressed the future king. "I speak for all the advisors when I say that we will begin drawing up the paper work and congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials."

Duo grinned wide enough to split his face. He would have done it anyway even if the advisors hadn't approved, but at least this way is less hassle for him.

Suddenly very impatient he adjourned the meeting and was the first one out the door and on his way to the infirmary. He had a lover to see and propose to.

* * *

Duo stood outside the infirmary and twisted his fingers together in nervousness. He didn't think he should be nervous, but then again he had always heard that no matter what response you expected you are always nervous before offering up your whole life to someone.

Fighting down the chaotic butterflies Duo patted at his braid to make sure everything was in place before pushing the infirmary door open and stopping dead at the scene before him.

"I told you. Under no circumstances are you aloud out of bed at least for another three days!" Sally pushed failingly against Heero's shoulders trying to get him back into a lying position.

"Get out of my way." Heero struggled with the black fuzz encroaching on his vision and the pain in his chest, but he had stayed in that bed long enough. When Duo was with him it wasn't so bad, but with his lover gone, the walls had begun to close in and Heero couldn't fight the feelings of panic and helplessness any longer. "I'm going to see Duo and you can't stop me!"

He stood and promptly began to tip forward almost crushing Sally underneath him. It felt as though his head had gone missing and his arms had gone tingly. His knees buckled and he waited for the painful impact with the solid marble floor, but was brought up short when a strong pair of familiar arms wrapped hastily around him and saved him from further injuring himself

"Fuck! Heero!" Duo's breath rushed out of his lungs as he struggled to support Heero's significant weight and keep his lover from hitting the floor. "You're heavier then you look, love."

"I-I think I can stand on my own now, Duo." Heero was still fighting to control his vision seeing as how the room was spinning in a dark gray haze, but he was determined to be out of that infirmary cot.

"Really? Then how come your legs are splayed like a new born faun?" Sally raised her eyebrow and moved forward to help the prince wrestle his stubborn lover back onto the cot.

"What were you thinking, Heero?" Duo asked as they finally got him back into the cot and lying down with Sally poking around his chest and checking his stitches.

Heero grunted in pain as Sally prodded a sensitive spot on his wound. "I was crawling up the walls Duo. I can't stand the infirmary when you're not here."

Sighing and sitting on the edge of the cot, Duo took Heero's hand in his and squeezed, trying to comfort him. "You're really not good with any kind of doctor related thing, are you?"

Scowling petulantly, Heero lifted Duo's hand to his lips and kissed it. "I've always had to care for my own wounds. I'm just not used to being at someone else's mercy in such a vulnerable state."

"That's the most I've heard you speak since David left this morning." Sally grumbled then proceeded to slather on more of Helen's ointment before rewrapping the wound. "He didn't pop any stitches, thank God, but he came close and irritated the healing skin."

Leaning back from her bent over position above Heero's chest Sally finished tying off the bandage and turned to Duo. "Even in his weakened state I don't think I would have been able to keep him here. It's a good thing you showed up David."

"Thank you for trying anyway, Sally." Duo sighed but couldn't keep from smiling as his lover glared at the doctor, obviously very unrepentant for his behavior. "Maybe I should get Trowa and Wufei in here to watch over you while I'm out."

That got a panic out of his unhappy lover. "Duo! I just wanted to see you."

"I know love, but you can't just waltz out of here. You nearly injured yourself." Duo ignored Sally's eye roll as he leaned forward to kiss Heero's pouting lips and brush his bangs away from his forehead.

Returning the kiss and running a hand down Duo's braid, Heero confessed, "I don't feel comfortable here, Duo. I don't know when someone is going to come in; I have no way of defending myself." Heero tugged on the braid when Duo opened his mouth to protest. "I know I don't really have to worry about an attack in the middle of the day or night here in the castle, but my training is hard to deny."

Sighing Duo rested his forehead against Heero's shoulder. "I'm sorry love. I didn't realize it would be this hard on you."

Turning just so that he could meet Sally's eyes Duo asked, "Would it be possible to move Heero to my rooms until he's able to move around freely again? It might help him relax."

Sally frowned in thought then finally nodded. "I don't see how that would hurt. He could actually get the rest he needs."

"Good." Duo smiled and kissed Heero's shoulder than sat up again. "It's settled. You'll be moved into my rooms where I can be with you while I work and you can rest as much as you want."

"Duo." Heero gave his lover a pained look. "I don't think I can go back into that room. Not without remembering what I… what I almost did."

Feeling an ache in his chest when he saw that tormented light in Heero's eyes, Duo intertwined their fingers and kissed his hand. "It's alright, love. I'm moving into the King's rooms. You won't have to go back there."

His relief was evident as he closed his eyes and relaxed back onto the cot. "Alright, Duo. I'll move as long as you redecorate your new rooms. Last time I was in there all I could think about was how I was going to have to hunt down Dekim's designer and put him out of his misery."

Duo couldn't hold it in and burst into a fit of giggles that had him almost rolling off the cot. "I think Trowa already took care of that, love. But I'll be sure to do some major redecorating after the coronation and the wedding."

"What wedding?" Heero frowned in confusion. "Are you throwing Solo and Hilde a wedding?"

Duo could feel the butterflies start up again and bagger at his esophagus for a way out. It was now. He was going to do it now. But God he thought he was going to die of nervousness. "No, it's not Solo and Hilde's wedding, though that is a good idea. We should talk to them about it when they come for the coronation."

A very indiscrete cough made Duo jump guiltily. "I think I'm finished here." Sally wiped his hands together and walked toward the door, then turned and glared meaningfully at Duo. "Come and find me when you're ready to move Heero." She slid outside leaving a confused Heero and a furiously blushing Duo behind.

"Whose wedding is it, Duo?" Heero had a horrible feeling. His stomach was suddenly tied in knots and his heart began to pound frantically. "Duo?"

"I was trying to find a good time to tell you er… expla-… ask you. But everything just sort of happened to so fast and I just got finished discussing it with the advisors and they gave me the go ahead, not that I needed it, but it never hurts to make my life easier-"

"Duo." Heero couldn't take it. His heart was breaking. "I know you need an heir and I understand that. I-I'll not stop you from marrying to fulfill your duty."

"What?" Duo stared owlishly at his saddened lover. Heero was near to tears and it was no less disconcerting then it had been the only two other times he had witnessed it. "That's not-"

"You don't need to explain it, Duo. You are going to be a king and a king needs a queen to give him things like an heir. I can't give you that." Swallowing passed the lump in his throat Heero closed his eyes; he couldn't look at his beautiful lover as he said this. "I'll be content to just be by your side as your lover even if I have to share you."

"No!" Duo clasped both sides of Heero's face in his hands and forced his lover to look at him. "Heero that is not what I was going to tell you. I'm not getting married to anyone else but you."

Looking into Duo's deep violet eyes, Heero blinked in confusion. "What?"

Smiling wryly, Duo explained, "I went to give the advisors the run down in the situation this afternoon after I looked through Dekim's things. I also went to ask them for their permission to claim you as my partner."

Seeing that Heero still didn't quite understand, Duo kissed his nose placed their foreheads together. "As my partner in life and on the throne. Heero," he chuckled, "what I'm trying to explain is that I just asked you to sort of marry me."

And just like that the fission in Heero's heart mended, his tears dried up and his couldn't stop himself from tugging Duo down on top of him to cover his laughing face in kisses.

After a moment or two of frantic laughing and kissing, Heero pulled back. "Is that possible? There isn't a law against or preventing it or something?"

Shaking his head with a goofy grin on his face, Duo giggled as Heero resumed peppering overjoyed kisses all over his face. "I checked the records this morning. Not a single word against it. And even if there was I would still do it anyway."

"That's wonderful! Duo, we're getting married! Sort of." Heero conceded with an amused chuckle.

"Well, it's more of a partnership." Duo explained as Heero began to work kisses down his neck. "There will papers to sign, but after that we can have a ceremony to, you know, show our commitment." He blushed and averted his gaze, as Heero stopped kissing him and looked in him the eyes.

"Yes, Duo. That sounds perfect." Heero pressed his lips to Duo's and their tongues twisted together in pleasure and love. "It's perfect except for one thing."

"What?" Lifting his heavy lids, Duo searched Heero's face for any sign of dissatisfaction.

"I want my mother here." Heero said uncertainly.

"I didn't realize… well I guess I never asked. Heero, why didn't you tell me you still had family?" Duo threaded his fingers through Heero's hair.

Shrugging, Heero ran his hands up and down Duo's back, loving the feel of his muscles underneath his thin shirt. "We haven't spoken in a long time. She didn't approve of my… choice in career."

"I would think not." Duo chuckled.

"I know it's a lot to ask." Heero reiterated. "But I really want her to see me now. I want her to meet you; I know she'll love you."

Duo felt his chest swell with the pride Heero so readily displayed in him. "It's not a lot, Heero. I'll do anything for you, love."

"Thank you." Heero buried his face in Duo's neck and inhaled his familiar and comforting scent. "I knew I loved you for a reason."

Chuckling, Duo wrapped his arms around Heero and leaned his head on his shoulder. He was ready for a small nap. "As long as that's not the only reason."

They both laughed and settled down to get some rest before dinner. The plans for the coronation, redecorating, logistics of housing a gang of twenty street urchins, and traveling Heero's mother from almost all the way across the globe were conveniently forgotten as they relaxed in each other's presence and drifted into a dozing sleep.

* * *

TBC…


	9. In the Darkness of Every Body's Life

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff

summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

Chapter 09: In the Darkness of Every body's Life

* * *

It took Gertrude three days to track down Solo and the gang and when she finally caught up to them they were deep in the forest half drunk and singing lewd songs about whores and bakers.

Solo took a swig of his ale and was about to steal another apple from the barrel by the fire before he caught sight of a very harried looking Gertrude stumbling her way into their clearing with her bodyguard in tow. "Your Majesty?!"

Gertrude didn't even bother acknowledging Solo as she snatched a skin of ale from a stunned urchin and swallowed half of it before she collapsed onto a log and stretched her aching feet out in front of her. Her loyal bodyguard stood behind her glaring death at everyone in the clearing.

"Solo." Hilde whispered from her reclined spot next to her husband. "Is that the queen?"

"Yeah." He nodded, just as confused and got to his feet to make his way toward the exhausted woman. "Queen Gertrude?"

Jolting as if she had just realized she was in a gathering full of people, Gertrude looked at Solo as if he had grown a third head before sighing in relief and pulling two sealed letters from her purse and throwing them at the stunned gang leader without a word.

Solo frowned down at them and opened the first finding it to be a simple list of every street rat's name in his gang. Ignoring the oddity in favor of discovering what the second letter held, Solo ripped at the seal and read the neat script. Eyes widening he reread it and looked at Hilde with such a shocked expression that she jumped up and rushed to his side.

"Solo? What is it?" She feared the worst. Feared that Duo was dead, feared that Traveler was dead. She feared that is was some horrible royal decree that would have them all locked in chains.

Being the only two members of the gang who could read, Solo handed the letter to her and watched as her face paled then turned bright red and her mouth twisted in a bright smile.

"Is this for real?" Hilde could feel tears beginning to sting at her eyes.

"You better believe it." Solo couldn't help but grab her and press an ecstatic kiss to her lips before throwing his head back and laughing so loud it echoed through the forest.

"What's going on, Solo?!" One of the other gang members shouted in a mixture of amusement and fright.

Turning to face the whole of his captive audience, Solo waved the letter in the air and shouted, "We're going to the castle!"

* * *

Duo bounced on the balls of feet. "How long do you think, Heero?"

Sighing, Heero reached over and yanked Duo's braid hard enough to draw a squawk from the excited Prince. "Long enough to annoy the hell out of me. Now stop fidgeting and be still. They'll get here when they get here."

Rubbing the back of his head with a half hearted glare, Duo pouted, reminding Heero of a child. "But I sent her out four days ago! It shouldn't take them this long to travel here."

"Duo." Heero pulled his lover into his arms, forcing Duo to sit in his lap as they awaited the street gang's arrival in the throne room. "It takes longer for twenty adults and children to travel than it does one person. It's going to take them awhile yet."

Huffing, Duo laid his head on Heero's shoulder and curled his arms around his neck letting his lover's warmth calm him. "I know, I'm just so excited. I'll be able to give them something as precious as they have given me."

Smiling, Heero placed a tender kiss on Duo's forehead. "Don't worry they'll be here in time for the coronation."

Just then Quatre burst through the throne room doors and smiled so widely it looked as though his face was about to split open. "Duo! They're here!"

Shooting up from his lounging place on Heero's lap, Duo almost toppled to the marble floor. "What?! Really?"

"Yes!" Quatre laughed. "Now hurry up and come greet them!"

"Alright!" Duo jumped in the air and began to rush out the doors throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure Heero was behind him.

"Heero?" His lover was just easing out of the throne and beginning to slowly make his way down the dais steps.

"Go on, Duo. I'll be there in a second." He forced a smile. Even after all the resting and his abnormally fast healing rate, Heero still felt tired and sluggish. Not to mention his chest would still ache if he moved too fast. Much like he did when trying to jump up after Duo.

Duo frowned and back tracked till he was at Heero's elbow, wrapping an arm around his waist in support. "No rush, love. We'll take our time."

Looking into his lover's tender smiling violet eyes, Heero sighed and relented to leaning on him till they were at the bottom of the steps. "Thank you, love. I forget sometimes to go slow."

"I know." Duo kissed his cheek softly as they walked out of the throne room together.

They entered the entrance hall to the roaring sound of amazement and exclamations of surprise. The children had pulled away from their adults and were racing around the hall looking behind tapestries and knocking apprehensively on suits of armor.

Gertrude was collapsed in a chair against the wall, her bodyguard standing next to her and smiling as he watched the chaos around them. Solo, Hilde and the other members of the gang stared around transfixed at the pure wealth surrounding them.

When Duo and Heero stepped into the hall, the first to spot them was a little girl with a smudged face and choppy hair. "Duo! Traveler!" She shrieked in delight and ran toward them arms stretched out.

Duo intercepted her before she could launch herself at Heero and swung her around, seating her on his hip. "Hello! Are you enjoying my castle?"

She nodded brightly and giggled. "It's big."

"Yes it is!" Duo smiled.

Solo stepped up as Duo set the little girl on her feet and she ran back to her mother, the other children and gang members beginning to crowd around. "Traveler!" Solo grinned and pulled Heero into a light one armed hug. "It's good to see you on your feet."

"Thanks." Heero grimaced slightly and Duo motioned to Gertrude's guard to bring another chair for him. "I can barely keep them under me lately."

Hilde threw her arms around Duo and planted happy kisses all over his smiling face. "We thought you had died! I was so worried!" She stepped back and glared at him.

"I'm sorry, Hil." Duo grinned bashfully. "We had to spread the rumor. I'll explain it all to you later, alright?" He squeezed her arms in comfort.

"Fine." She scowled. "But I want all the details."

He nodded then tapped her on the nose with a mischievous smirk. "Someone else has been quite busy as well, haven't they?"

She blushed then placed a hand on her flat belly causing Duo to laugh in delight at her pinked cheeks. "Congratulations Hilde. I'm so happy for you."

A warm smile spread over her lips as glanced over at a proudly beaming Solo. "Thank you, Duo." Turning her gaze back to her friend, her brow creased nervously. "I-I realize that Solo and I are asking you a lot, and even if you don't want to take our child as a ward, we want you to know that if you want to you will still be its Godfather and-"

Duo placed a finger over her rambling lips and cast a smirking glance at an amused Heero now seated in a chair with a little boy sitting on his lap. He turned back to his expectant friend, took his finger away, placed his hands on both sides of her face, and kissed her smack dap on the lips. "Hilde, my love, you, Solo, your baby, and the whole gang are going to live here, in the castle, with me."

Her eyes grew impossibly wide from between his hands. Laughing, he glanced over her shoulder at the gaping mouths and unblinking eyes of his friends with a smirk on his face. "You will all be taught by the best tutors, dressed in the finest clothes, eat the best food you've ever tasted, and…", Duo's smile widened as he flicked his eyes at a stunned Solo, "Your child will be my heir to the throne. That is, if they accept it and you two don't object."

Without warning Hilde shrieked and jumped into Duo's unprepared arms toppling them both onto the hard marble floor. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She showered kisses over his suddenly blushing face while the rest of the gang jumped up and down in excitement, some laughing, some crying, but all inexplicably happy.

Heero watched his lover being suddenly accosted by all the children in the gang and some of the adults while he was still trapped underneath Hilde with a smile on his face. Solo stood next to his chair with an expression somewhere between disbelief and unrepentant happiness.

"Do you think I should pull her off of him?" Solo asked, his lover and the mother of his child still crying on Duo's chest.

"Nah," Heero chuckled as one of the littlest children began to tug painfully on Duo's braid. "We wouldn't want to ruin the moment."

The two men glanced at each other and broke into laughter leaving Duo to fend for him self at the bottom of an ecstatic pile of street urchins.

* * *

Later that night, Duo curled up to Heero's still bandaged chest feathering light kisses over his shoulder. The whole gang was situated in their rooms after the biggest feast they had ever seen, and snuggled into the softest beds they had ever slept on.

It had been a wonderful day, one neither Duo nor the gang would ever forget.

Sighing contentedly as Heero combed fingers through his loose hair Duo closed his eyes and savored the closeness. "I'm so glad everything worked out this way."

"Mm." Heero was relaxed despite the stiff bandaging and the unsatisfied aching between his legs. Sally had forbidden him from any sexual activity until the stitches came out and Heero, no matter what he tried, couldn't get Duo to break the doctor's orders. "You did a wonderful thing for them love."

"Not more than anybody else would have done." He gingerly wrapped his arm around Heero's stomach and inhaled his earthy scent.

Heero turned his face into Duo's hair and brushed a kiss over the silky strands. "You undervalue your deeds, my love. Very few people would care for them the way you do." He stroked his fingers over the still puckered scar on Duo's upper arm.

"You would." Lifting his head, Duo stared at Heero's deep blue eyes. "You would do the same given the chance."

His heart sank in doubt of his lover's optimistic words. "I wouldn't be so sure."

"That's bullshit!" Duo was suddenly unreasonably mad. He couldn't stand the way Heero put himself down. It made his chest burn with sadness. "That's complete bullshit and you know it, Heero Yuy. You would do anything for those poor homeless children if you could."

"No!" Heero exclaimed, digging his fingers into Duo's hair trying to his hold his lover there as if he were about to drift away from him. "No, Duo, I wouldn't have. At least not until I met you." He averted his gaze away from Duo's questioning violet eyes. "I've been killing since I was eleven. I've been a trained killer since I was thirteen and an assassin since I was fifteen. My soul was dead until I met you, Duo."

"Heero." Duo didn't know what to say. His heart was aching for the sadness radiating off of his lover. "Why did you become an assassin, Heero?"

His breath hitched as the memory. "When I was eleven a man in my village, that richest man in my village killed my father. He wanted our land, but my father wouldn't sell it to him, so he killed him." Duo let out a sudden whimper and wrapped his arms around Heero pressing his head to his chest in comfort. "Without my father there to stop him he would have taken our home by force, taken my mother into his bed, sold me to slavery, or just killed us both. I couldn't let that happen, Duo. I had to protect my mother, protect our home."

Duo's eye suddenly burned with unshed tears, but he tightened his hold on his shaking lover and began to stroke his finger through his hair to sooth him. "You killed him."

"I had to." Heero's throat ached as he squeezed his eyes shut trying to shut out the memories of that night.

"What-… What happened after?" Duo could just imagine a frightened little boy struggling under the weight of the world being suddenly dropped on his shoulders.

"I ran." He inhaled Duo's scent to calm his pain. "I didn't go back to my mother. She didn't want me to go so I couldn't let her see me with blood on my hands. It was better that she forgot about me, that I disappeared from her life." A single tear fell from his pained blue eyes to land on his beautiful lover's warm soothing chest.

Tightening his hold on him, Duo feathered kisses over his hair and forehead as he whispered reassuringly. "Don't worry Heero. We'll find her. We won't get married without her. I promise."

"Thank you, Duo. I love you." Heero turned his face and kissed the skin over Duo's softly beating heart.

"I love you, too." He scooted down in the bed to get more comfortable. "Now let's get some rest. I'm being crowned tomorrow and I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be long and boring."

Heero chuckled and sighed in contentment. He was finally able to be happy.

* * *

Heero reflected that this scene was beginning to become rather redundant as he watched Duo bounce around the room waiting for Quatre to return and give them their cue.

The coronation tradition in Sanq was to have the sovereign escorted to the castle cathedral by a person of their choosing; Duo chose Heero. Then that person, Heero, was supposed to "give away" the prince to their closest royal family member, Gertrude, who would then lead them down the isle to be coronated by a priest and witnessed by the advisors and anybody else who showed up, the whole castle and all the street urchins mainly.

As he watched his lover nervously pace the small waiting room by the cathedral, Heero couldn't help by think that he looked astoundingly beautiful and handsome.

Duo wore his kingdom's colors. A beep violet silk tunic glided on his body over black silk trousers, and pressed against him with a thick black leather belt around his waist. At his side the sword his father, King James, wore hung elegantly from its leather holster, the gems on the hilt glinting in the light. His black leather boots were shined to perfection and buckled with jewel encrusted buckles. Duo's long gorgeous hair was woven into an intricate braid with strings of strawberry seed sized diamonds glinting in the light.

Atop his head was a modest golden crown inlaid with sapphires and amethysts, and fastened around his shoulders with a wide chain of gold to match his crown was a floor length white fur cloak speckled with tear drops of black.

Heero caught his breath for the hundredth time that morning. His lover was absolutely stunning, breathtaking.

A knock on the door halted Duo in his pacing and Quatre stuck his head in to smile kindly at his nervous prince. "It's time David."

Exhaling a deep breath to calm himself, Duo turned to his smiling lover and felt all his nerves dissolve. "Alright. Let's go."

They walked down the isle arm in arm, Heero's chest swelling with pride, Duo's stomach flipping in excitement.

Gertrude stood half way to the front and smiled as her son neared. He looked more like his father than he ever had. It gave her a heart a jolt of pain and love all at once.

Coming to a stop Heero turned to his lover and gingerly placed his hands on either side of his face, pulling him forward to place a light tender kiss upon his lips he said simply, "I love you" before releasing him and stepping aside.

Duo slid his hands down Heero's arms as he moved away and smiled brightly at him then turned to his mother and offered her his arm. She took it elegantly and they began the short journey toward the dais at the front of the church.

When they reached the priest and it was time for Gertrude to move away she paused and leaned forward to place a kiss, their very first, on his cheek. "I'm very proud of you, David. Your father is very proud of you." She pulled away and was momentarily startled to see a tear in his deep violet eyes.

He gave her hand a squeeze and returned the kiss. "Thank you," he whispered before turned toward the priest and kneeling on the stool before him.

Unlike Duo predicted the coronation didn't last quite as long as he had thought. He suspected Dorothy had something to do with that seeing as the priest kept shooting her glances every time she cleared her throat.

But when it was through and the King's crown in all its ruby, sapphire, emerald, and amethyst glory was placed on his head, Duo could feel his knees shaking and his heart pounding. He had never felt such a mixture of fear and excitement in all his life. Well, except for the first time he and Heero had made love, but that was a different kind of fear and excitement.

Later as the whole castle sat down to the feast and the gang's children had finally stopped staring at Duo's crown in wondrous awe, Duo was able to corner his newly crowned brother just off of the dining hall.

"Trowa!"

"David!" Trowa imitated with an amused smirk. "What can I do for you, Your Majesticness?"

"Oh, stuff it." Duo grumbled as he smacked his laughing brother on the arm. "I have a job for you."

"Ooh!" The fresh prince grinned in mischief. "Do tell."

Rolling his eyes, Duo pulled a sealed envelope from his pocket and flashed it at his brother. "I need you to take this to Heero's mother."

Suddenly very serious, Trowa took the letter and studied the royal seal. "Duo, I don't know where Heero's mother is."

"I do." Duo explained. "Heero's from the Nippon Islands off of the Orient coast. His village is on the main island. Travel there and I'm sure you'll be able to find her."

Trowa frowned at him skeptically. "Duo-"

"Your journey will be backed by the Sanq treasury. Please, Tro. Please." Duo looked into his brother's deep emerald eyes and pleaded with more than just his words. "I promised Heero."

The prince deflated and sighed. "Alright." Duo squealed and wrapped his arms around him as he jumped up and down with glee. "But I'm taking Quatre with me."

Duo pulled back with a smile that didn't seem to be able to dim. "By all means take him! Thank you so much, Tro. You're the best big brother ever!"

"You owe me." Tro grunted as he wrapped his arms around Duo, conceding to his younger brother's enthusiastic embrace.

"I owe you." Duo nodded as he released Trowa and turned back to the dining hall. "You won't regret this!"

As he watched his younger brother and king stroll toward his lover and place a warm and tender kiss on his lips, Trowa smiled. "I won't."

* * *

Sylvia sat in her late husband's favorite rocking chair and watched the clouds move through the mountains outside of her home. It was times like these, times when she could almost hear the soft patter of her missing son's feet on the wooden floor of her house, the deep laugh of her beloved husband, that made her heart ache anew.

It had been… twelve years since Heero had disappeared. Well, she sighed, runaway actually.

After her husband, Heero's father, had been murdered her son had become consumed with fury and anger. She begged him not to go, not to retaliate for the blood shed that made her own heart scream in agony, but he didn't listen. The memory of that night still plagued her dreams.

Heero had been so angry. They had just buried his father, and the man that had taken him away had just begun the measures to destroying all they had left. He was about to take their home.

Sylvia knew she could live in a hovel as long as she had her son and the memory of her beloved, but Heero had been consumed, even at the young age of eleven, Heero had thirsted for their tormentor's blood.

"_Heero! Please, your father wouldn't want you to destroy your life like this." Sylvia's tears were streaming down her face as she kneeled before her son, clutching him to her like her final breath. _

"_Father wouldn't have wanted us to live on the streets either." His voice was flat and so cold. It sounded nothing like her little boy. Like the child she had felt kicking in her womb, kneading at her breast, or crying on her shoulder. _

_She felt her heart breaking. "Please, Heero. Don't do this. You're only a child!" _

_Heero's face suddenly contorted in agony before he averted his gaze from his mother's pleading deep blue eyes and spoke with a finality that rang through his home like the dying scream of his father. "And because of that, I couldn't save him."_

_Sylvia's breath caught in her throat and her tears began to stream down her cheek anew. She could feel it. It was the end of something she had held so dear. _

_Small, play roughened hands lifted her face to look into Heero's suddenly warm, sad eyes. He whispered, "Please don't cry. I love you, Mama, but I have to do this." Then he leaned forward and kissed her softly like he had every night as a little child when she tucked him in, before he stepped out of her arms and disappeared into the night. _

Sylvia wiped a stray tear away from her cheek and cursed her self for remembering something so long buried. It had been twelve long years since that night, the last night she had ever seen her son, and she had cried almost every night after.

She missed Odin fiercely, but her love for her beloved husband paled in comparison to a mother's love of her child. Heero had never come back after that night. She didn't know what had happened to him. All she new was that their tormenter had been found the following morning stabbed to death. That thought had always brought a shiver to her soul.

So she had mourned. Not only for her dead husband, but for her lost son. And she prayed that he would one day be brought back to her.

It was getting late, the sun had begun to sink below the mountains making their forever snow covered tops shine pink and orange. Her heart was heavy with memories of laugher and tears, and her skin was chilled from the evening cold. It never really seemed to get warm this far up in the mountains, but Sylvia would never leave her house, her memories, her ghosts.

Standing from the rocking chair on her porch she was about to turn and head inside when a trail of lanterns caught her attention on the road leading up to her home. She stood and waited till the figures came into view.

It was a caravan of sorts. Large enough for a traveling party, but not quite as big as some. The uniforms on the armed horseman held a magnificently stylized M with the colors of deep blue and deep violet. Sylvia could just count twelve horsemen, two carriages, and four drivers as they finally came to a stop in front of her house. She suddenly shivered in fear and gripped the railing of the porch with white knuckles.

There were two lead riders. One, with bright blond hair and kindly smiling blue eyes, stayed on his horse, the other dismounted, a tall man with a fall of auburn hair and sparkling green eyes. He stepped forward and bowed low, before he smiled up at her and asked, "Is this the house of Sylvia Yuy?"

She watched in astonishment, her heart pounding. "Y-yes. I am Sylvia Yuy. On what business do you come, Sir?"

Trowa smiled widely and pulled a letter from his coat, holding it up to her. "News, Madam. I have news of your son."

* * *

_This place felt familiar. Dark, foreboding, and so familiar, as if from his worst nightmare. _

_He crept through the halls as silent as his bare feet could carry him, dodging maids and servants as he made his way toward the sitting room were he could hear that gruff demanding voice shouting orders to the frightened staff. _

_Heart pounding in his chest, Heero swallowed roughly and felt so very small and weak in this mansion of nightmares. He wished to be home warm and safe in the arms of his mother, but he knew what he must do. He must end it, so that the cycle could not be repeated. _

_Gasping softly he ducked behind the corner and out of the firelight as the monster threw a glass against the wall in anger shattering it with a sound like lightning. Heero's heart thumped wildly as he pressed himself against the wall wishing for all the world that he could disappear into it. The only comfort he had was the firm pressure of one of his father's daggers at the small of his back where it was stuffed through his belt. _

_For you, Father. I'm doing this for you. _

_He prayed as he pushed his shoulders back and stepped away from the wall and out into the room, a grim expression fixed on his childish features. _

"_Who the hell are you, kid? How did you get in here?" The monster reeked of drink and sweat. Its beard was matted with food and its teeth were yellow and rotting. _

_Lifting his chin, the fear that had been twisting in his chest had disappeared. Heero knew what he must do. "My name is Heero Yuy."_

"_Oh!" The monster slapped its knee and threw its head back in grotesque laughter. "You're the brat of that peasant I ran through yesterday. Tell me boy, how's your whore of a mother?"_

_Fisting his small hands at his side, Heero refused to yield to the monster's growls. "My name is Heero Yuy," he repeated in a flat emotionless voice. "You murdered my father. I'm going to kill you."_

_Sitting straighter on its perch the monster snarled. "What did you say, boy?"_

_Taking a step forward Heero felt himself grow stronger. "My name is Heero Yuy. You murdered my father. I'm going to kill you." He could feel his muscles bunching with tension._

"_Shut up, brat!" The monster roared as it fisted its claws around the arm of its perch. _

_Heero simply continued forward, feeling as though with every step his body grew in size and strength. "My name is Heero Yuy!" He was shouting now. "You murdered my father! I'm going to kill you!"_

_The monster gave a mighty thunder and lunged forward backhanding Heero across the face in fury. "No body talks to me that way, you little bastard."_

_Despite the force of the blow, the little eleven year old boy stood stock still, his head snapped to one side, his eyes wide open in determined rage, and the side of his mouth slit open and bleeding. Slowly he turned his head back to stare at the monster with an unwavering glare. "You murdered my father. I'm going to kill you."_

_Lunging off of its perch the monster shoved a fist into Heero's gut sending the little boy flying backward. He landed hard on the dagger in his belt and yelped in pain as it dug into his spine. _

_Heero had no time to move way before the monster was upon him, raining blows like boulders upon his tiny body. He felt a rib crack, his arm break, but Heero couldn't cry out. His determination wouldn't let him._

_Kicking out with his bare feet, the heel of one foot connected with the monster's jaw knocking out a few fangs and sending it backward with a howl of pain and blood spraying from its mouth. Heero struggled to his feet then and reached behind him to draw his father's dagger only to find it gone. _

_Frantically looking around the room Heero saw a glint of metal near the fire place behind him. Lunging for it he fell hard on his injured body but was able to wrap a bloodied hand around the hilt before the monster's claw clamped around his ankle and pulled him backward. _

"_No body spills my blood, you little shit!" The monster dragged the struggling little boy toward it and reared its arm back to deliver a crushing blow upon his blood caked head. _

_It was caught completely by surprise when Heero twisted around and lashed out with the sharp blade of the dagger. _

_Howling in pain the monster let go the boy and clutched at its gushing face feeling the flesh connected with its beard begin to peel away. Heero limped to his feet and didn't wait for the monster to recover; he jumped at it with the dagger high above his head and thrust it downward again, and again._

_The blade stabbed through the monster's cheek, the monster's neck, the monster's collar, the monster's throat. Blood sprayed the little boy, the floor, the walls. The only sounds that could be heard were the gargling of blood and Heero's furious screams as he killed the monster that killed his father. _

_Finally the monster had stopped thrashing, stopped gargling, and lay beneath the boy, now reduced to carrion, no longer the frightening creature it once was. _

_Heero pulled the dagger out of the monster's chest and stumbled away from it, his body shaking, his skin dripping with blood. _

_He had done it, he had killed the monster that had murdered his father, threatened to take his home, planned to violate his mother. Heero had done what he must. _

_And he felt completely hollow._

Bolting up in bed, Heero screamed in agony, sweat pouring down his body, every muscle shaking like an earthquake beneath his skin.

"Heero!" Duo clutched desperately to his lover's face, stroking his soaked bangs from his eyes and trying to wake him from his nightmare. "It's alight, love. It's ok. I'm here. It was only a dream."

"Oh god." Heero collapsed against Duo and wrapped his arms painfully tight around his lover, his tears mixing with his sweat as he tried to forget the feeling of the dagger being shoved through skin and bone, the smell of blood and rancid breath. "God, Duo! God!"

"Shh." Duo stroked Heero's hair and rubbed his back as he began to rock slowly, trying to comfort his lover. "Everything's alright, Heero. It's over. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

Heero was close to hyperventilation, but the sound of Duo's heartbeat was calming him and his gasps of breath were beginning to slow. Duo, all he had to do was concentrate on Duo and everything would be alright. The smell of lavender was washing away the rancid breath and warm blood, the feel of soft skin underneath his fingers and against his chest was chasing away the painful blows and heavy weight pressing down in him.

"Hold on to me, Heero. That's it. Just breathe." Duo had never heard such a tortured sound. He had awoken to Heero's desperate whimpers and wild thrashes. When he tired to wake his frightened lover, the sound that had burst from his lips had chilled him to his very soul. He wished he never had to hear a sound like that for the rest of his life. "Take your time, love."

After perhaps hours of gentle rocking and stroking, concentrated breathing, and basking in his lover's offered comfort, Heero was able to open his eyes and pull far enough away from Duo to look into his concerned violet gaze. "I'm sorry, Duo. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Nonsense." Duo scolded softly as he leaned forward and kissed Heero tenderly on his dry lips. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad I was here for you. Do you want to talk about it?"

No. But Heero knew he had to. His lover deserved to know why he had woken up in the middle of the night screaming like a banshee. "I had a dream about the night… about the night I left home."

Duo kissed Heero's cheek just below his eye. "Tell me about it."

"I left home to kill the man that murdered my father. I was eleven years old and armed only with one of my father's daggers." The two lovers scooted down to lie together and Heero rested his sweat dampened head on Duo's shoulder, listening to his steady heartbeat as he retold his dream.

"It was not clean." He suppressed a shudder and buried his face in Duo's skin while Duo continued to rub his back comfortingly. "I cracked a few ribs and broke one my arms. I didn't even think while we were fighting. The sound of my breathing and the pounding of my blood in my ears was all I remembering being able to hear."

"How did you kill him?" Duo closed his eyes and tightened his hold on his lover.

"I had slashed him across the face and jumped on his chest, stabbing him. I couldn't stop stabbing him." Heero's stomach rolled but his swallowed it down. "When he stopped moving I was finally able to hear and I saw what I had done. His blood, my blood, it was everywhere."

"It's alright." Duo cut him off when his body began to shake again. "It's over, Heero. It's over." He pressed kiss after kiss upon Heero's face and hair whispering, "I love you, Heero. Everything is going to be alright."

Sighing, finally able to let got of the dream that had attacked him, and finally able to let go of the blood on his hands after twelve years, Heero turned his face to press a kiss to Duo's chest. "I love you, Duo. Now that I have you, I know everything is going to be alright."

* * *

TBC…


	10. Up Above the World so High: The End

title: The Prince and The Assassin  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 1x2, hints of 3x4  
rating: NC-17  
warnings: slight angst, intrigue, graphic lemons, violence, major fluff  
status: complete  
summary: A Prince trapped by obligation in a prison-like castle finds freedom in an Assassin, while the Assassin discovers life in who he thinks is a pauper.

**Graphic Lemon!**

Chapter 10: Up Above the World So High, Like a Diamond in the Sky: The End

~*~

Duo held Heero's bangs away from his face as he threw up for the third time that morning. "Heero, you have to calm down."

"But what if she doesn't forgive me? What if she never wants to see me again?" Heero wiped at his mouth and pulled the chain washing away that morning's breakfast.

Sighing, Duo helped his lover get to his feet and move toward the sink. "Trowa said she had agreed to come to the castle, didn't he?"

Rinsing his mouth out, Heero could still feel his legs shaking. "I haven't seen her in twelve years, Duo."

"I hadn't seen you in seventeen years, Heero, and now look at us. What difference does it make?" Duo scowled at his pale green lover.

Rolling his eyes, Heero leaned heavily against the king's shoulder. "The difference is that you're not my mother and that we had never met before, Duo. That tactic won't work."

He knew his lover was right. It had been a month since Duo had sent Trowa and Quatre to retrieve Heero's mother and they had just received a pigeon informing of their traveling party's imminent arrival. He knew he had to see his mother at least to tell her that her only son wasn't dead.

"Heero?" Duo stroked his fingers through his lover's hair.

Pulling away from the comforting embrace, Heero squared his shoulders and laced his fingers with Duo's. "I'm alright now, love. Let's go."

Together the two men left their chambers and headed toward the entrance hall.

*

Sylvia could feel her legs shaking as she was escorted by Prince Trowa and Sir Quatre up the castle steps. The journey from Nippon had been long and tiring, but the two young men had made it as easy on her as possible and for that she was eternally grateful.

Along the crossing of the sea and the trails over the land she got to know her two companions rather well and had grown to like them, but no matter how many times she asked or she pleaded with them they never divulged anything about her son to her. It would seem that the King of Sanq had sworn them to secrecy and they would not break that promise.

The huge castle doors were pushed open by the guards and the two young men led her inside with comforting smiles.

The moment they crossed the threshold Sylvia felt her stomach drop out of her body with fear. Could this new King Maxwell simply have forced her to travel half way around the world to tell her that her only son was dead? That he was some sort of criminal and they needed her to stand witness at his execution? Or was it something more benign; perhaps even pleasant that this young king had to say?

Trowa lead her gently into the Hall and toward the dais where Sylvia saw King David James Maxwell sitting expectantly on his throne, with a single pony tailed, stern faced man standing at his side.

Stopping in front him, Sylvia composed herself just enough to bow low before him, but the wringing of her hands and her worried frown never ceased.

Duo watched Heero's mother with a mixture of sympathy and pure happiness. She was slight and fair, but her deep blue eyes were unmistakably the same as her son's. Finally the rest of their happy ending could begin. "Lady Sylvia, welcome to the Kingdom of Sanq."

She straightened up and gave him a tentative smile. He was handsome like everyone else of this land she had encountered. Stunning actually, his eyes were smiling violet and kind and his hair was long and silken looking. But despite his pleasant demeanor she was thankful that Trowa and Quatre had stayed on either side of her, near enough to draw some measure of comfort from. "Thank you, your Highness, I am honored you invited me."

He smiled brightly at her and leaned forward in kind concern. "I trust your journey went well. Did Trowa and Quatre take good care of you?" He smirked at the men standing next to her.

Sylvia glanced at them as they sighed and rolled their eyes in seeming annoyance. "Yes, your Highness. They made sure I was as comfortable as possible."

"Good." Duo's eyes twinkled at her merrily. "I was afraid I would have to behead them if I was to learn otherwise."

Sylvia felt her heart drop into her stomach. She started to protest, "Oh no, your Majesty-!"

"He's just kidding, Lady Sylvia." Trowa cut her off with a reassuring smile. "David wouldn't do that."

"Oh, I wouldn't?" Duo smirked at his brother rather evilly. He was about to open his mouth and say something more when Quatre cleared his throat reminding him of the purpose for this audience.

"Oh, right." Sylvia watched the king grin rather embarrassedly then turn his attention toward her. "Lady Sylvia, do you know why I have asked you here?"

She felt a nauseous mixture of hope and trepidation sizzling in her belly. "You have news of my son?"

"Yes." Duo smiled gently at her trying to comfort her, her face had lost all color. "I have news of your son."

A small whimpered sob escaped her throat and her knees shook dangerously. For a month she had been praying and hoping and now she would finally know. "Oh, please, Sir. Please tell me that he lives!"

Duo's face softened as his heart began to ache for her. "Yes, Ma'am. He lives and is quite healthy as well." He could hear Wufei on his left snort, but he ignored him.

"How…" Sylvia could feel tears of relief and happiness trailing down her cheeks. "How do you know of him? How did you come to give me this blessed news of him?" Her voice shook. "I haven't seen him twelve years."

"I know." Duo could feel his throat tighten as he imagined the amount of pain she must have been in. "Your son has done me and this kingdom a great service. He has saved my life and the lives of countless others when he stopped an attempt to assassinate me and usurp my throne."

Her son was a good man. Sylvia could say that now without a shadow of a doubt. He had saved lives and was healthy and alive. She smiled brightly and clutched at her chest as though her heart would swell right out of it. "Where…? Where is he now, your Highness?"

Duo was so excited to bring so much joy to this beautiful woman in front of him and his wonderful lover that he thought he might jump out of his skin. "He is here, Lady Sylvia. Would you like to see him?"

It was like all her dreams had come true. If it was a dream she didn't want to ever wake up. "Yes. Oh God!" She sobbed in a mixture of such nervousness and happiness she could barely breathe. "Yes, please."

Standing up in one fluid motion Duo looked to the right side of the room and into the dark shadows of a corner drawing every eye in that direction. Sylvia stared with bright teary eyes at the man stepping into view.

Heero slowly almost cautiously stepped out of the shadows and into the sun light streaming from the windows, his eyes trained unwaveringly on his weeping mother. The picture she made was eerily like the one he had seen the night he had left her, but at the same time completely different. Despite the tears, she was beautiful and completely his mother even twelve years later.

Her hair had grayed, her skin had wrinkled around her eyes, but she was undeniably his mother and Heero stopped mere paces away from her almost afraid to come too near.

Sylvia was at once struck with just how much her little boy had changed. He looked just like his father: dark, handsome. His eyes were her deep blue, but unlike hers they held a shadow behind them that she at once recognized for what it was. Heero, her Heero had changed so much in twelve years, but the one thing that hadn't changed was the fact he was her son and she recognized him immediately.

She covered her mouth with her weathered and delicate hand in a sharp gasp and whispered tentatively, "Heero? My son?"

That was all it took before Heero was closing those last few paces and sweeping his mother up into his arms and burying his face in her neck. She still smelled just as he had remembered: of mountain air and the blossoms of a mountain Loral.

"Mama!" He could feel tears pricking at his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on tightly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry."

"No." Sylvia soothed as she felt and heard just how much her little boy had grown. His body was all hard muscle and his voice was deep, rumbling through her body. "I thank you. Thank you for finally coming back to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Duo watched Heero and his mother embrace for the first time in twelve years and couldn't help the swell of happiness in his chest and the prick of tears at his eyes. To see his lover this happy made everything seem simply wonderful.

*

The room was uncomfortably silent and Sylvia glanced from King Maxwell toward her son for the millionth time. After reuniting with her child, her son, King David had ushered the three of them into his private dining chambers where a massive meal had been prepared and spread over the table.

With their tears dry and their reassurances of life made, Sylvia couldn't bear to loose contact with Heero and David had readily suggested that mother and son sit next to each other at the small table. So they sat, Sylvia and the King across from each other and Heero at the head between them.

Once their seats had been taken and their plates had been filled the uncomfortable silence had descended upon them. So many questions filled Sylvia's throat but none of them had made it to her tongue yet. Heero continued to hold her delicate hand so gently as if he might snap her fingers and just picked at his food.

Sylvia watched as the King watched her son with steadily growing concern before he finally turned his gaze toward her and gave a hesitant smile.

"Lady Sylvia," Duo started, "I trust every thing at your home is um… good?" Normally forcing conversation wouldn't bother him, but he could practically feel the uncertainty and anxiety wafting off his lover. He knew Heero was worried about his mother's reaction to his life, but Duo was determined to keep his lover from hiding.

She smiled at the King in relief. "Yes, very good, thank you. A few of the young village boys help me out during harvest and do the harder work I can't." Sylvia was so nervous and so thankful she didn't have to start the conversation she almost missed the look of guilt and regret that flickered over Heero's face. Almost.

Apparently, Duo caught it as well because Sylvia watched in a little astonishment as the King reached over and laid a comforting hand on Heero's arm, giving it a small squeeze before letting go and turning his attention back to her.

Suddenly, Sylvia's words were no longer lodged in her throat and popped off her tongue like skipping rocks. "How did you travel all the way to Sanq, Heero?" How had her little boy been surviving half way across the world without her?

Heero's shoulders tensed and his fingers tightened fractionally around hers before he released his hold on her and pulled his hand back into his lap. "I haven't been in Sanq for long." He finally said. "I've been moving around for, maybe, six or seven years."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What have you been doing all these years? How have you made a living? How did you end up here?" It all came rushing out like a flood. All her years of not knowing, of mourning, of dreaming about her little twelve year old son struggling back to her over the mountains in the cold. It was almost too much for her at that moment.

Duo clutched at Heero's forearm and squeezed almost painfully. His lover needed to tell her. For himself and for her. "Heero." He met his lover's panicked blue eyes with a small reassuring smile. "It's alright. Tell her."

She watched the exchange with a slight frown on her brow. For the first time she wondered just what her son's relationship with the King was.

Turning to look his mother in the eyes, Heero took a deep breath to steady him self. No matter how his mother reacted he knew that Duo would always be with him. "After I… killed _him_ I left."

Heero watched his mother's eye cloud with sadness, but forged on taking comfort in the weight and warmth of Duo's hand on his arm.

He told of his painful and long journey over the mountains to the nearest town, how he was taken in and nursed by an old man that went simply by J. When he explained how J had trained him to be a killer, he watched a single tear slide down his mother's cheek.

Not wanting to cause his mother any more pain he didn't tell her about his first job or the jobs after. By the way her eyes closed when he glossed over it he could tell she was thankful.

Finally he got to his traveling to Sanq at the request of a client to assassinate the crowned prince.

Sylvia gasped and darted fearful eyes toward Duo.

He smiled reassuringly at her and waved a hand dismissively in the air. "It's alright, Lady Sylvia. I already knew Heero was going to assassinate me. He's not in any danger from me."

She relaxed at this and turned back to Heero waiting for him to continue.

Heero suppressed a chuckle at his lover's words and felt him self ease back into the comfort he was giving. "I didn't realize it was Duo who I was supposed to assassinate until I had very nearly plunged my dagger into his chest."

"And he missed, thank God." Duo grinned and rubbed his scarred upper arm absently.

The look that passed between the two young men didn't escape Sylvia's keen eyes but she didn't comment on it. "What happened after that?" She also neglected to point out that Heero hadn't explained _why_ he had stopped himself from slaying the King, then a prince.

"I was imprisoned of course." Heero shrugged. "I was sure I was going to be executed until Duo came down and pulled me out of the dungeons."

Sylvia shivered at the thought of him shivering in a cold dark cell awaiting death. But noted once again the hole in his story. Why had the prince not chosen to execute him?

"Once I convinced him he wasn't going to be beheaded, we all devised a plan." Duo continued, getting into the flow of their very abridged tale.

"We all?" Sylvia asked.

"Yeah," He grinned, violet eyes twinkling with amusement. "Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, the stony faced guard from before, and Heero and me."

"Oh." Sylvia chuckled. She was beginning to like the King. He wasn't nearly as intimidating with that mischievous smile on his face. She could tell he must have been a hell raiser when he was a child. Not that he was much of an adult as it was. He was obviously a few years younger than Heero and just barely old enough to be able to command the authority needed to hold the throne of one of the largest kingdoms on this side of the world.

"So we planned on a way to overthrow Duo's uncle and expose him as the traitor and murderer that he was." Heero explained.

"Obviously everything worked out." Sylvia smiled then let it slip off her lips when she saw the look that the King cast her son. "What happened?"

"It was nothing-"

"Nothing?!" Duo cut him off with a look of hurt. "You nearly fucking died."

"What?!" Her heart thudded in her chest and she grabbed at Heero's arm and scanned her eyes over him just like she had done the first time he had been placed in her arms and she counted all his fingers and toes to make sure they were all there.

"Mom." Heero blushed and patted her hand comfortingly. "I'm all right now. I have been for quite some time."

"Well, what happened?" She asked.

"My uncle, bastard that he was, tried to kill me with his ornamental sword. Heero pushed me out of the way and got…" he swallowed roughly, the memory still haunted him, "got stabbed instead."

Sylvie gasped and tightened her hold on Heero's arm almost painfully. Besides the thought that her son had almost died was the realization that he had almost died trying to protect his young King across from her. Just what was their relationship?

"But you're alright now?" She asked.

He smiled at her and squeezed her fingers. "Yeah, I only have a scar to show for it."

Duo snorted and scooted almost unnoticeably closer to Heero. "Trust me, Lady Sylvia. If that fucker wasn't already dead, I'd kill him all over again."

A curious smile turned up her lips. "Why did you spare his life if it was your job to um… assassinate him?" She felt it was time to satisfy her curiosity about this young man's relationship with her son.

Heero and Duo froze and glanced at each other uncertainly. They hadn't been able to decide whether it would be a good idea to reveal everything about their relationship so soon on top everything else and had just resolved to walk that bridge when they came to it. And it would appear that they had come to it.

But that didn't stop them from hesitating.

Sylvia lifted her hand from Heero's arm with a slight smirk and reached across the table to snag a grape from a rather ornate bowl. Popping it into her mouth, she watched as both young men's faces paled then blushed. "Why don't you tell me the rest of the story, Heero-dear? I get the feeling there is something you're not telling me."

She watched as her son, all grown up, blushed furiously and squirmed in his seat. The King leaned away from him and watched her with something she never thought a man of his authority and power would ever look at her with; fear and pleading plain as day in his deep violet eyes.

Sighing, she couldn't keep them afraid like that. "You love him, don't you Heero?" She asked her son as he froze and watched her with something akin to hope. "That's why you didn't kill him. You had fallen in love him."

"Yes." He finally breathed. "When we met, we didn't know what each other was." He explained after a pause. "I thought Duo was a kitchen servant."

"And I thought Heero was simply traveler looking for job." Duo said as he smiled so very tenderly at Heero that it made Sylvia's chest ache with the memory of her own love dead these twelve years.

"We would sneak around to see each other, all the while not knowing." Heero twined the fingers of one hand with Duo's and smiled just as tenderly back at him. "When I was told the timeline for the assassination was pushed up to prevent my target from turning eighteen I knew I had to tell him."

_Eighteen?_ Sylvia jolted. Duo was that young? But not even that, Heero had just said that they had met and been… in love since Duo was seventeen. That was six years of difference between them.

"I had been wanting to tell him I was actually the prince for some time so we met in the forest." Duo finished for Heero. "It uh… wasn't a particularly happy night for either of us."

"What happened?" She had said that phrase more times than she could count in the last couple of hours, but she had to know. Twelve years of not knowing was quite enough.

Duo glanced at her guiltily. "When Heero told me what he was and who he was supposed to kill, I sort of freaked."

Sylvia nodded. That was understandable. Finding out your lover was supposed to kill you must have been somewhat traumatizing.

"I ran." He finished, head down and hand clasping painfully at Heero's.

Heero lifted their hands up and placed a chaste kiss on the back of Duo's before he turned back to his mother and finished the story they had started.

Sylvia watched and listened. It was very apparent that the events that followed had affected them massively. It was very apparent that their love was stronger now for it.

His words fell into the room and faded as the silence returned. They were waiting for her judgment. Would his mother approve of them together? Or would she react with scorn and reproach?

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for Sylvia to make up her mind about how she felt. This wasn't perhaps the life she would have chosen for her only child, but she forfeit any right to choose for him when she let him walk out of their home twelve years before. It was blatantly obvious just how much in love Heero and the King were, how much they had risked together and just how painful it would be to loose her son for a second time if she should try and condemn them.

Slowly she rose from her seat, Heero and Duo rising as well, fear and uncertainty harsh in their eyes. Sylvia walked around the table till she stood between them facing the king and looking directly into his wide violet eyes.

It surprised her just as much as it did Duo when she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her embrace with deceiving strength. He looked over her shoulder to his lover who looked back just as surprised.

Sylvia closed her eyes against the sting of fresh tears tightened her hold on him. "Thank you, Duo." She said using the name her son had called him. "Thank you for bringing Heero back to me. Thank you for… loving him, when I couldn't."

Closing his eyes, Duo finally wrapped his arms around his lover's mother holding her almost as tightly as he buried his face into her shoulder.

"No problem." He chuckled a little wetly as tears of happiness started to string at his eyes. "He's not as much trouble as you would think."

They both laughed and Sylvia pulled away from him to wrap an arm around her son bringing him into the embrace. "My little boy!" She gasped with a bright smile, as everything started to sink in. "I still can't believe it! You're all grown up!"

"Mom!" Heero blushed but couldn't help but chuckle as both his lover and his mother turned their irresistible smiles on him. He was doomed and he didn't mind one bit.

"Please tell me I know everything I need to know." She pleaded jokingly as all three of them resumed their seats and started to finish their meal with renewed vigor. "I don't think I could take much more at the moment." It was true the journey hadn't been easy and the emotional upheavals of the day had taken their toll on her no longer quite as young body.

"Actually…" She glanced up as Heero and Duo looked at one another in silent communication before Heero looked back at her with a faint blush on his cheeks. "We're hoping that you would like to stay for a while."

Duo elbowed him gently in the ribs spurring him on. "I mean, at-at least until after the wedding."

She frowned in confusion. "Wedding?" She hoped it wasn't what it sounded like. It was common knowledge that a king needed an heir and given her son's relationship with the king that was impossible. Could Duo be getting married to fulfill that need and they wanted her there to be with Heero through it? "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Heero didn't want to get married until he could see you again. So we were hoping you would be there, to celebrate it with us." Duo explained nervously. He sincerely hoped she would wish to stay and be there with them. It wouldn't be much of a celebration if she refused. Heero would be heart broken.

A light flickered on in her mind and she felt her self relax. "You're getting married?"

"Yeah." Duo grinned. "I wouldn't be able to run this place without him." He smiled lovingly at Heero. "He's a life saver." Literally.

A smile blossomed on her face as she watched them and warmth flooded her heart. "I would like very much to be there." She said and reached to hold both their hands. "Do you need any help planning it?" She asked a little hopefully.

They all laughed and the conversation picked up with a happy ebb and flow of love for the rest of the day. Everything was wonderful. Everything was perfect. Sylvia thought as she watched her son and his lover smiled at each other. She had waited twelve years for this and she finally had it. And it was better than she could ever have imagined.

*

Duo and Heero walked down the isle in the castle cathedral hand in hand. They were both dressed in the royal colors and had jewels practically falling off of them, but their smiles were unmistakable. They only had eyes for one another even as they kneeled before the priest and before all their friends and family.

Later when asked what they thought of the priest's short matrimonial sermon, neither would be able to answer because they hadn't been paying a bit of attention.

Out of the hour and a half long ceremony, the only part either were able to remember clearly apart from their lover was the moment they were asked, "Do you, King David James Maxwell, take Sir Heero to be your partner in life and on the throne?"

Duo smiled so brightly he thought he must have blinded himself by then. "I do." He giggled giddily as he squeezed Heero's fingers in his.

"And do you, Sir Heero Odin Yuy, take King David to be your partner in life and on the throne?" The priest asked as the corner of his mouth turned up fractionally in amusement.

"I do." Heero said without a second's hesitation as he grinned lovingly at his lover.

"Well, then!" The priest chuckled as he took a crown off the table next to him and held it up. "By the power vested in me I now crown you King Heero Odin Yuy," he placed the crown on Heero's rather oblivious head, "to share in ruling the kingdom justly and fairly with all your wisdom and knowledge."

He glanced from one eager face to the other before he finally put them out of their miserable anticipation. "And I now pronounce you both partners on the throne, in life, and in love. You may now kiss one another."

Duo was the first to move springing like a cat at his lover, wrapping his arms around his neck and pressing their lips together with a happy yelp and grinning lips. Heero wasted very little time on surprise and returned the embrace and the kiss with equal fervor. Enough so that their friends and family cheered and clapped while they continued to be completely oblivious to anything but each other as their lips moved and their tongues glided briefly together.

They were in their own personal heaven. And they loved it.

The feast had been delicious. The kitchen had out done themselves, and by the end of the evening the whole castle was bursting with food and singing drunken melodies together.

Duo's gang was laughing and singing with courtiers and castle servants, Sylvia and Gertrude were seated in a quieter part of the hall getting to know one another now that they were family through their sons, and the advisors had all decided to become thoroughly sloshed.

Trowa and Quatre leaned against one another in one corner of the dining room with Wufei, Zecks, Solo, Hilde, and Dorothy watching the other guests enjoy the festivities.

Sighing with a mixture on dreaminess and exhaustion, Quatre snuggled further into Trowa's arms. "Do you think anyone else noticed Heero and Duo slip out of the side doors?"

"I highly doubt that." Wufei snorted as he twisted a lock of Zecks' hair around his fingers absentmindedly. "Half the dining hall is too drunk to notice if the ceiling was caving in."

"Is that really such a bad thing, love?" Zecks chuckled. "It's not like this isn't the first really wonderful party that's been held since before King James died. We all deserve a little cheer, don't you think?"

"I for one never realized how many drunkards we were working with on the board of advisors. Look at them! They're pathetic." Dorothy sneered in scorn as she watched yet another of her colleges flirt shamelessly with a frightened servant girl.

"You're just saying that because you can drink them all under the table, Dorothy my dear." Zecks pointed out with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Solo chuckled. "I've never seen so many light weights in my life. What do you castle folk drink for fun around here? Watered down bread wine?" He popped his pipe back into his mouth being careful to blow the smoke away from his lightly dozing lover as she smiled tiredly from her place in his lap.

"Normally yes," Trowa replied with barely veiled disgust. "Dekim kept all the best wine for himself, but Duo graciously liberated the fucker's stash especially for today."

"Only because you begged him to." Quatre poked him playfully in the side.

Raising his half full glass of wine Solo gave him a half hearted salute. "My thanks, good sir!"

They all laughed and chuckled for a few more minutes until Hilde lifted her head from its place pillowed against Solo's shoulder. "I'm exhausted. Good night, every one."

She and Solo stood from their seat and bid everyone farewell before disappearing up the stairs toward their room.

Soon after that, Dorothy slinked away following a shy giggle from Relena as she passed by carrying empty dishes toward the kitchen. "I'll see all in the morning." She muttered before disappearing with the kitchen maid.

Wufei and Zecks left a few minutes later bickering like they always do all the way out of the dining hall. The sight of Zecks sneaking in a pinch to the guard's bottom followed by Wufei's indignant squawk was the last of them before they also vanished.

Trowa pulled Quatre more fully against his side and leaned down to press a small kiss to his lips. "What do you say we do this?"

"Do what?" The blond man asked with a dreamy smile.

"This." Trowa gestured with a hand to the riotous room at large. "You know; the whole wedding thing."

Quatre leaned back a little and stared at his lover with a slight a frown on his face as he thought about that. Finally his expression cleared and he nodded with a smile before pecking him on the lips and resuming his lounging position. "Alright."

Relief swept through the prince and he smiled, wrapping his arms more firmly around his lover. "Good."

*

Duo gasped as Heero bit down gently on his neck while he yanked and pulled his clothes open and off. Neither of them could wait much longer and that was very apparent by the sounds of cloth ripping and heavily jeweled accessories hitting the floor.

A growl rumbled deep in Heero's throat as he ground his hips into Duo's. "Why won't your clothes come off fast enough?"

Chuckling breathlessly, Duo tugged at Heero's own clothes with just as much frustration. "That's it! I'm firing my tailor."

They both dissolved into the pleasure filled laughter until they were naked and nearly glued together skin to skin.

Heero fell on top of Duo on the bed, their lips massaging frantically together and their tongues thrusting in and out of each other mouths with wet hot strokes. Heero ran his hands over Duo's sides and chest leaving his skin tingling and scorching hot. His thumbs brushed teasingly over Duo's peaked nipples making him moan. "Oh! Heero!"

Pulling his mouth away Heero trailed his tongue wetly over Duo's chin and neck laving at his adam's apple and nipping at his collar bone, sending shivers over his already sweating body. He kissed and licked his way down to one of Duo's hardened nipples and circled it with his tongue drawing a frantic grown from his lover and spurring him to tangle his finger in Heero's messy chocolate brown hair begging him wordless to continue.

Loving the taste of Duo's skin he quickly wrapped his lips around the pert nipple and suckled at it lightly, stroking it continuously with his tongue. Duo's body jolted in pleasure and his legs fell apart to cradle Heero's hips between his heated thighs.

Thrusting up to rub his aching penis against Heero's burning hot erection Duo groaned and shivered delightedly. "Don't stop, Heero!"

Releasing Duo's soaked nipple, he licked his way over to the other stopping to place an open mouthed kiss in the center of his sternum before taking the other nipple into his mouth and sucking on it hard causing Duo to jerk in surprise. "Ah!"

Heero grinned around the nipple between his lips before releasing it and continuing on his way down toward Duo's jerking and throbbing erection. He watched it throb and leak pre-cum to pool on Duo's belly before a needy whimper form his lover encouraged him to lean forward and lap up the salty bitter fluid from his belly. Savoring the taste Heero didn't give Duo enough time to do more than gasp before he had engulfed his whole weeping penis all the way to the base.

"Oh fuck!" Duo's fingers tightened almost painfully in Heero's hair.

Heero hummed around the hot erection then he rubbed his tongue along the throbbing vein and sucked, hard. Duo arched and moaned and thrust in to the torturous pleasure. And all too soon Heero was pulling back letting his aching erection bob back on his belly, then moving lower still as he pushed his legs further apart and toward his chest.

Duo made a confused whimper, "Heero?" before he arched in surprise and could do nothing more than pant.

Running his tongue along the sensitive skin behind Duo's balls Heero drew the wet muscle lower and lapped eagerly at Duo's pulsating entrance. He could feel Duo's thighs quivering against his palms and he thrust his tongue as deep as it would go into Duo's velvety channel.

"Oh yes!" He had never felt that before and he was eager for more. Thrusting back onto Heero's tongue Duo raised his hands to clutch at Heero's still pressing at his legs as he panted and moaned wantonly.

His tongue twisted and thrust in Duo's body wringing pleasured sounds from him like water from the laundry. He worked the heated flesh around the pulsating entrance with his lips, pressing with them and sucking with them. Soon it was too much for Duo to take.

"Heero! Please! I need you, now!" He lifted one hand away from Heero's and twined it through his lover's hair desperately.

"A little longer, love, a little longer." Heero said huskily. He pulled his mouth away and wrapped a hand around Duo's erection as he moved back up his body, coating his fingers in Duo's thick pre-cum.

He pressed his lips to Duo's neck and worked on marking him with a love bite while he gently worked his fingers one by one, in and out of Duo, stretching him. Duo whimpered and moaned as he thrust his erection up into Heero's and his hips down onto his fingers. He was burning for more, something to satisfy his need.

"Enough!" He panted and pulled Heero's face away from his neck to crash their mouths together painfully. "I need you inside me now."

Their tongues twisted and twined against one another before Heero pulled away breathlessly and suckled at Duo's bottom lip.

Reaching down he griped his own erection and pumped until his length was covered in the pre-cum that had been steadily leaking from the tip. He released Duo's mouth and positioned himself at his entrance kneading the head against the puckered opening.

"Heero!" Duo whimpered and rocked his hips trying to draw that hot hard penis into himself.

Not being able to wait any longer, Heero thrust up seating himself to the hilt inside Duo before he stopped, panting breathlessly. He could never tire of the feeling of being one with his lover, of being so much inside of him he could almost feel Duo's heart beat in his own chest. "So good, love."

Duo had arched in pleasure, his fingers clawing at Heero's shoulder blades until he adjusted to the feeling of being so filled he could hardly breathe. He savored the feeling as one he would happily endure for the rest of his life. "Move lover." He groaned.

He didn't have to be told twice. Heero began to thrust into his lover's hot body slow and hard, making them both shake as fire coursed through their veins. The velvety flesh of Duo's passage stroking him, gripping him sent shockwaves through his erection to pool his belly. Snaking his hand down between their sweat slicked bodies he wrapped his fingers around Duo's aching penis and began to pump him in time with every thrust.

Arching in absolute pleasure, Duo lifted his legs and wrapped them around Heero's waist making the angle of penetration deeper. Now every thrust Heero made brushed over his prostate causing spots of white to flash behind his eyes and strangled moaned to break from his lips.

"Yes! Yes! Heero, I'm going to-" His words cut off when Heero swooped down and captured his lips in another bruising kiss as he quickened his pace of both thrusting into his passage and pumping his weeping erection.

It wasn't long before Duo's body bowed up as cum flooded from him in orgasm, coating his belly and Heero's hand. A few more thrusts into Duo's pulsating channel had Heero was moaning in pleasure as his own orgasm ripped away from him to fill Duo's tightening passage.

He collapsed on top of his lover, both of them breathless and panting as their skin cooled and their bodies slowly stopped shaking.

Rolling way so he wouldn't squash Duo, Heero chuckled as he pulled Duo into his arms stroking his hands up and down his back. "Is that why you couldn't wait to get away from the reception?"

Stretching pleasantly, Duo hummed. "Oh yeah. That was so worth skipping out on the celebrations."

"Well I'd like to think we had our own celebration." He grinned down at his lover's disheveled chestnut colored hair.

Duo laughed almost giddily as he ran a hand up and down over Heero's chest in time with his lover's ministrations on his back. "I can't believe we're finally married."

"I know." Heero smiled down at his lover's upturned face. "You're not regretting it, are you?"

"Fuck no!" Duo scoffed and leaned up to press a warm kiss to his still smiling lips. "You're the only one for me, love."

"Good, because I'm a very jealous man."

"Mm." He hummed in agreement. "Me too. Very jealous."

They laid in the after glow for a few more moments, their lips massaging together and their tongues darting teasingly between them before Heero pulled away and buried his face in Duo's lavender scented hair. "I love you so much. I'm so happy that I found you."

Sighing contentedly Duo threaded his fingers through Heero's messy hair and held him closer. "Me too, love. I couldn't imagine what life would be like without you anymore." He shuddered and kissed his way to Heero's lips again. "Now that I have you, I can't live with out you."

Heero returned the kiss with fervor as he wrapped his arms more securely around Duo and pulled the covers over their naked bodies. "Love you." He murmured tiredly as he settled into their bed, warm and content.

"Love you too." Duo smiled and snuggled closer. This was all that really mattered. Finally for the first time in both of their young lives everything was absolutely right.

And it was going to stay that way.

~*~

The End.

18


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